Academics plead for preservation of Nicosia site

THE CYPRUS University yesterday called for the protection of the Pasidy hill archaeological site.

The hill, in central Nicosia, has been earmarked for the new House of Representatives building, but the discovery of antiquities has put construction work on hold.

In an announcement yesterday, the University’s Faculty of Letters stressed the importance of the site.

“The archaeological strata that have been uncovered on the hill provide a continuous picture of the city’s development from the Chalcolithic period, about 3500 years BC, to the present day,” a statement read.

“Neither the new House of parliament nor any other construction should be allowed to destroy or even conceal this unique stratigraphical sequence,” the Faculty stated.

“If the archaeological investigation of the hill is allowed to proceed with care, this may be our last chance to identify Ledra, the elusive and to this date archaeologically invisible ancient predecessor of Nicosia,” the academics add.

Meanwhile, the Leventis Foundation and the Antiquities department yesterday announced the organisation of a symposium to discuss the economic, administrative and psychological problems associated with the late publication of archaeological dig results.

The aim of the Mediterranean symposium, taking place in Nicosia today and tomorrow, will be to draw up a draft convention — to be named the Nicosia Convention — on the publication of archaeological findings.

Dr Vassos Karayiorgis of the Leventis Foundation, and Savvas Hadjisavvas of the Antiquities Department, cited lack of time and money as the main causes for publication delays.

But Karayiorgis and Hadjisavvas also spoke of the “psychological” problems faced by dig scientists fearful of releasing their findings for fear they be wrong.

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