Kephala, Kea

Kephala is a Late/Final Neolithic settlement on the Greek island of Kea, dated to approximately 4600-4500 BC. Located on a rocky promontory, it is the only significant open settlement of this period in the Cyclades, with free-standing structures unprotected by walls. The community of 45-80 people farmed cereals, kept livestock, and fished. Evidence of early copper metalworking was found, among the earliest in the Aegean. Excavated 1964-1973 by the University of Cincinnati under John L. Caskey, a cist grave cemetery with multiple burials was discovered on the slope below the settlement.