International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Chrystalla Loizou
University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; 
[e-mail]
Recapturing the Dynamic Rural Landscape of Medieval Cyprus: 12
th
– 15
th
C.
Cyprus constituted the ground of many diverse civilizations since antiquity thanks to its 
advantageous and strategic location as a nodal point for trade in the Eastern Mediterranean. 
The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the evolution of settlement systems in the rural 
landscape of Cyprus from the Middle Byzantine period to the end of Frankish domination (c. 12
th
-15th A.D). In the late 11
th
and 12
th
centuries, the island was a province of the Byzantine Empire 
falling within Constantinople’s sphere of influence and experiencing a period of prosperity. Within 
this framework, large inland estates, churches and monasteries were established. In 1191 Richard 
the Lion Heart’s conquest of Cyprus marked the beginning of the long period Latin domination 
on the island. The interaction between Latins and Cypriots on Cyprus occurred within the context 
of an administrative transformation which included the establishment of a western feudal system. 
In order to read the settlement systems of this period, I will attempt to capture the diversity of the 
medieval rural landscapes of the island and to consider the extent to which settlement patterns were 
influenced by political, cultural, and religious changes. 
The areas of the Troodos Mountain Range and the Vasilikos Valley will be used as case-studies. 
These geographical regions were chosen because of various landscape parameters and availability 
of archaeological data. The Troodos Mountain Range, located roughly in the centre of the island, is 
a unique physical landscape with a wide range of geological formations. It is characterized by steep 
sided valleys and broad undulating open plains, enriched by the alluvial deposits of seasonal rivers 
and rivulets running to the coast. On the contrary, the Vasilikos Valley comprises one of a series of 
river valleys that drain the eastern end of the Troodos Mountain Range down to the southern coast 
of the island. The river weaves through eroded foothills and passes by the modern dam, from where 
is embraced by steep walls enclosing a sheltered flood plain and low flanking terraces until the coast. 
Intensive surface surveys have been conducted in these two contrasting landscapes with 
different methodologies, interdisciplinary approaches and techniques. Therefore, the main aim 
of this paper is to compare and analyze the survey results in order to highlight similarities and 
differences between the landscapes. In particular, it will address: i) what archaeological sites formed 
settlement sites and what are their characteristics, ii) what was the density of sites in the countryside, 
iii) in what ways the geographical locations of the sites affected the habitation, and iv) how the 
social, political and economic transformations were reflected in the settlement systems.

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