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Lempa (Lemba)
Encyclopedia
Lempa is a village in Cyprus
located approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the town of Paphos
. It is sometimes written as Lemba, which is also closer to the correct pronunciation. Neighboring villages are Empa, Kissonerga
and Chlorakas
.
The village is located on top of an escarpment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
, and is set in one of the most fertile parts of Cyprus. The area produces citrus, olives, tomatoes and market-garden vegetables, and is one of the few parts of Europe where commercial banana production is possible.
The village is one of the most ancient in Cyprus, and since 1976 has been the site of ongoing archaeological
excavations by the School of Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh
. Lempa is believed to have been first settled in the Chalcolithic Period (c. 3800–2500 BC), and a number of cruciform female figurines, carved in stone, from this period have been found. In 1982, the Lemba Experimental Village was established as an archaeological project to recreate a Chalcolithic village and use it to undertake a number of historic activities, including use of building materials, pyrotechnology, pottery firing and prehistoric cooking methods. With the cooperation of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, as well as the mayor and villagers of Lempa, the project has developed into an important visitor attraction as well as being for research into many aspects of experimental archaeology
.
Lempa appears to have been occupied for most of the human history of Cyprus, and much later archaeological remains, including pottery fragments and coins from the Mediaeval
period have been found there.
In more recent times, Lempa was until 1963 a predominantly Turkish village, with a small Greek minority, but following intercommunal violence in the 1960s the Turkish population abandoned Lempa and settled in Paphos town. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
in 1974, the Turkish population moved to the north of Cyprus and the village was fully abandoned except for a small number of Greek refugees.
In 1981, Lempa became home to the Cyprus College of Art
. Under the leadership of the Cypriot artist Stass Paraskos
, the College renovated the former school building for use as artists' studios. The first artist to use the building was the British painter Euan Uglow
. Following the College a number of other artists have moved into the village which has since become an internationally known artists' colony.
As a consequence of the artists, archaeologists and art college in Lempa the Government of Cyprus announced in 2008 that the village was to receive major funding to become a 'Cultural Village'. This project would see improvements to the facilities of both the archaeological site and college, and new facilities for visitors to Lempa. However this has proven controversial as to date the Cypriot government has not started on the development.
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
located approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the town of Paphos
Paphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
. It is sometimes written as Lemba, which is also closer to the correct pronunciation. Neighboring villages are Empa, Kissonerga
Kissonerga
Kissonerga is a village in South West Cyprus, about 5 miles north of Paphos, in a region notable for the cultivation of banana plantations, an area known as the Ktima Lowlands. In 1980 the population of the village was 700 people....
and Chlorakas
Chlorakas
Chlorakas is a town in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located 3 km north of Paphos. The town is host to Akritas Chlorakas a Cypriot Second Division football team....
.
The village is located on top of an escarpment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and is set in one of the most fertile parts of Cyprus. The area produces citrus, olives, tomatoes and market-garden vegetables, and is one of the few parts of Europe where commercial banana production is possible.
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
excavations by the School of Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. Lempa is believed to have been first settled in the Chalcolithic Period (c. 3800–2500 BC), and a number of cruciform female figurines, carved in stone, from this period have been found. In 1982, the Lemba Experimental Village was established as an archaeological project to recreate a Chalcolithic village and use it to undertake a number of historic activities, including use of building materials, pyrotechnology, pottery firing and prehistoric cooking methods. With the cooperation of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, as well as the mayor and villagers of Lempa, the project has developed into an important visitor attraction as well as being for research into many aspects of experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned...
.
Lempa appears to have been occupied for most of the human history of Cyprus, and much later archaeological remains, including pottery fragments and coins from the Mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
period have been found there.
In more recent times, Lempa was until 1963 a predominantly Turkish village, with a small Greek minority, but following intercommunal violence in the 1960s the Turkish population abandoned Lempa and settled in Paphos town. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
in 1974, the Turkish population moved to the north of Cyprus and the village was fully abandoned except for a small number of Greek refugees.
In 1981, Lempa became home to the Cyprus College of Art
Cyprus College of Art
The Cyprus College of Art is a post-secondary art instutution located in the Mediterranean island of, Cyprus.-Academics:CyCA offers beginner courses in art, university-entrance programmes in art and design, bachelor degree equivalent programmes in Fine Art , and Master of Fine Art degrees at...
. Under the leadership of the Cypriot artist Stass Paraskos
Stass Paraskos
Stass Paraskos is an artist from Cyprus, although much of his life was spent teaching and working in England.-Early life:Paraskos was born in Anaphotia, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in 1933, the son of a shepherd farmer. He went to England in 1953 and became a cook in his brother's...
, the College renovated the former school building for use as artists' studios. The first artist to use the building was the British painter Euan Uglow
Euan Uglow
-Biography:Euan Uglow was born 10 March 1932 in London and as a child lived in Tulse Hill in south London. His father was an accountant, and Uglow went to the local grammar school in Tulse Hill, called Strand School. Afterwards he studied at Camberwell School of Art from 1948 to 1950...
. Following the College a number of other artists have moved into the village which has since become an internationally known artists' colony.
As a consequence of the artists, archaeologists and art college in Lempa the Government of Cyprus announced in 2008 that the village was to receive major funding to become a 'Cultural Village'. This project would see improvements to the facilities of both the archaeological site and college, and new facilities for visitors to Lempa. However this has proven controversial as to date the Cypriot government has not started on the development.