Tenta, Cyprus
Tenta, also referred to as Kalavasos-Tenta or Tenda, is an Aceramic Neolithic settlement located in modern Kalavasos near the southern coast of Cyprus. The settlement is approximately 38 kilometres southwest of Larnaca and approximately 45 kilometres south of Nicosia. Tenta occupies a small natural hill on the west side of the Vasilikos valley, close to the Nicosia–Limassol highway.
(Greek: Tέντα) | |
View of Tenta (protective structure) | |
Location within Cyprus | |
| Alternative name | Kalavasos-Tenta or Tenda |
|---|---|
| Location | Larnaca District, Cyprus |
| Coordinates | 34°45′09″N 33°18′11″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 8000 BC |
| Abandoned | before 5000 BC |
| Periods | PPNB |
| Cultures | Cypriote Aceramic Neolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | 1940 |
| Excavation dates | 1947–1984 |
| Archaeologists | Porphyrios Dikaios |
| Management | Cyprus Department of Antiquities |
| Public access | yes |
The earliest occupation at the site has been dated to around 8000 BC, which is contemporary with the sites Shillourokambos and Mylouthkia, and notably predating Khirokitia by almost a millennium. It was still settled during the 6th millennium BC, but deserted at some point before the advent of the Cypriotic Ceramic Neolithic.
Six seasons of excavation in Tenta occurred from 1947 to 1984. The obtained data is of interest to studies of cultural change in Prehistoric Cyprus because Tenta's architectural remains, artefacts, human burials, flora and fauna have been "virtually unchanged for two millennia, suggesting that there was considerable continuity in social organisation as well as technological and economic practices."
Today, the site is open to visitors (with entrance fee), and protected by a characteristic, modern cone-shaped roof. The roof is considered a local landmark, and the site a popular tourist attraction.