Alassa

Excavations at Alassa by Cypriot archaeologists in the early 1980s unearthed the ruins of a Bronze Age city [1]. Among other findings were the remains of a palace, suggesting that the site once had a much greater importance as a local trading center [1]. The site has been proposed as one candidate for the capital of Alashiya [1]. Roman villas have also been found there [1]. The archaeological site Alassa-Paliotaverna is located in the upper quarters of a settlement situated on a plateau right above the Kouris River in south-western Cyprus [1]. It was built during approximately 1340-1100 BCE, the highest Late Bronze Age settlement on the island [1]. Building II at Alassa Paliotaverna, dated to the Late Bronze Age, is a monumental ashlar structure and the largest elite building known from the Kouris River valley [1]. Building II is a large “Π”-shaped building with an area of 1410m², a square with distinct wings arranged around a large central courtyard which suggests a communal character [1].