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- Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine Art and Archaeolgy, Historic cities, Medieval Architecture, Byzantine monasticism, Byzantine and Medieval Cyprus (History and Art), and 29 moreHistory of Ottoman Art and Architecture, Cultural Landscapes, Divided Cities, Late Antique and Byzantine Archaeology, Architecture and History of Art, Crusader Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Early Ottoman Architecture, Early Ottoman Cities, Late Byzantine Art and Architecture, Contested Spaces (Anthropology of space), Byzantine fortifications, Identity and heritage of Historical Cities, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Venetian possessions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Late Roman and early Byzantine fortifications, Monastic Architecture, Medieval Fortifications, Byzantine Art and Architecture, Medieval Famagusta, Digital Cultural Heritage, Built Heritage, Cultural Heritage, Urban Art, Urban Design, Urban Regeneration Through Art, Urban Light, Urban Development, Rehabilitation, Reuse of Industrial Buildings., Sacred Landscape (Archaeology), Landscape Photography, Landscape History, Historic Townscape Evaluation, Borders and Frontiers, Frontier Studies, Space and Place, Humanities Visualization, and Medieval Cities and Urbanismedit
The Byzantine world contained many important cities throughout its empire. Although it was not 'urban' in the sense of the word today, its cities played a far more fundamental role than those of its European neighbors. This book, through... more
The Byzantine world contained many important cities throughout its empire. Although it was not 'urban' in the sense of the word today, its cities played a far more fundamental role than those of its European neighbors. This book, through a collection of twenty-four chapters, discusses aspects of, and different approaches to, Byzantine urbanism from the early to late Byzantine periods. It provides both a chronological and thematic perspective to the study of Byzantine cities, bringing together literary, documentary, and archival sources with archaeological results, material culture, art, and architecture, resulting in a rich synthesis of the variety of regional and sub-regional transformations of Byzantine urban landscapes. Organised into four sections, this book covers: Theory and Historiography, Geography and Economy, Architecture and the Built Environment, and Daily Life and Material Culture. It includes more specialised accounts that address the centripetal role of Constantinople and its broader influence across the empire. Such new perspectives help to challenge the historiographical balance between 'margins and metropolis,' and also to include geographical areas often regarded as peripheral, like the coastal urban centers of the Byzantine Mediterranean as well as cities on islands, such as Crete, Cyprus, and Sicily which have more recently yielded well-excavated and stratigraphically sound urban sites. The Routledge Handbook of the Byzantine City provides both an overview and detailed study of the Byzantine city to specialist scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike and, therefore, will appeal to all those interested in Byzantine urbanism and society, as well as those studying medieval society in general.
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Medieval History, Urban Studies, Medieval Archaeology, Ottoman Studies, and 11 moreByzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine History, Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine Archaeology, Early modern Ottoman History, Byzantine historiography, Byzantine art, Medieval Cities and Urbanism, Byzantine Urban History, and Late Byzantine and Early Ottoman Era
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The present study focuses on an icon known as the Panagia Valieriotissa at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Palodeia, Cyprus. The icon is unusual as it contains two depictions of the Virgin Mary and Child. The main aim of this study is to... more
The present study focuses on an icon known as the Panagia Valieriotissa at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Palodeia, Cyprus. The icon is unusual as it contains two depictions of the Virgin Mary and Child. The main aim of this study is to analyze the material characteristics of the icon and the relation of the two panels in order to determine if the icon belongs to a distinct category of paintings known as "composite icons"-icons consisting of two separate panels, one inserted into another. Icons of this unusual type, first described by Panayotis Vocotopoulos, appear to be quite numerous on Cyprus and date mostly to the sixteenth century. Results show that the icon can be included within this group, consequently enriching our knowledge on the materials, technologies, and techniques used in the creation of composite icons. Driven by art historical inquiries, the study's methodological approach was based on the integration of digital imaging techniques with non-invasive and non-destructive material analyses pursued by the Andreas Pittas Art Characterization Laboratories (APAC Labs) of the Cyprus Institute. Spectroscopic techniques, digital microscopy and advanced digital imaging methods produced a broad range of data which were analyzed and interpreted from both an art-historical and a conservation perspective towards a better understanding of the materiality of the Palodeia icon and its subsequent history and use. The imaging and spectroscopic methods used provided new information on the materials and techniques used by the painters as well as on later undocumented episodes of restoration or repainting. Overall, the results showed that the icon indeed consists of two separate icons-a larger panel and a smaller, re-used icon inserted into the former. Moreover, some important distinctive features of the inset icon, invisible to the naked eye, reveal its possible previous use and dating. The study brought to light the great potential of non-invasive methods in the revealing and analysis of unknown aspects of composite icons, thus shedding light on this fascinating phenomenon, but it can also interest a broader group of researchers into the exciting new possibilities as well as the limitations of non-invasive methods for the study of works of art and heritage objects.
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Research Interests: Byzantine Architecture, BYZANTINE CITIES, CASTLES, FORTERESSES, Byzantine cities, castles, fortresses, Medieval Fortifications, THESSALONIKI, and 8 moreByzantine fortifications, Monuments of Thessaloniki, Κάστρα, Fortificacion Medieval, Byzantine Cities, Βυζαντινά μνημεία Θεσσαλονίκης, ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ, and Βυζαντινές πόλεις
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Research Interests: Urban History, Medieval urban history, Byzantine Architecture, Urban Heritage, Byzantine cities, castles, fortresses, and 6 moreTHESSALONIKI, Byzantine fortifications, Late Antique and Byzantine Archaeology, Architecture and History of Art, Monuments of Thessaloniki, Ottoman Thessaloniki, and History of Thessaloniki
Research Interests: Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine cities, castles, fortresses, THESSALONIKI, Byzantine fortifications, History of modern Greece, and 7 moreΘεσσαλονίκη, History of Thessaloniki, Βυζαντινά μνημεία Θεσσαλονίκης, Mediterranean Port Cities, ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΗ ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ, Mediterranean Cities, and History of Northern Greece
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Research Interests: Urban History, Urban Studies, Identity and heritage of Historical Cities, Byzantine and Medieval Cyprus (History and Art), Medieval Fortifications, and 8 moreMedieval Cities and Urbanism, Medieval Cyprus, Walls of Nicosia, Historic cities, Archaeology of Colonialism, Mediterranean Historical Cities;, Mediterranean Cities, and Walled City of Nicosia
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The methodologies of Cultural Heritage research and in particular those related to conservation and the analytical study of heritage assets and works of art, recently grouped under the term Heritage Sciences, engage a broad range of... more
The methodologies of Cultural Heritage research and in particular those related to conservation and the analytical study of heritage assets and works of art, recently grouped under the term Heritage Sciences, engage a broad range of disciplines, each with its own characteristic workflows for generating data. Consequently, an emerging challenge is the need to define a digital framework for multi-source data integration, associated with a single heritage asset, but generated by various tools and methods which are often pursued by different research groups and at different times. This digital framework is discussed in this essay as the digital twin of a heritage asset, comprising of the documentation data associated with a heritage asset and its virtual representation. To best describe and define a Heritage Digital Twin ontology and its associated knowledge graph, we use a specific example drawing from art historical and analytical investigation of a 13th century Italian painting masterpiece, the Crucifixion of Christ, by Giovanni Baronzio, one of the leaders of the so-called Rimini School of painting which was greatly influenced by the work of the famous Renaissance master Giotto di Bondone.
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The architectural complex of the al-Madrasa al-Halawiyya in Aleppo, Syria, remains one of the most remarkable monuments in the centuries-old city. First founded as the Church of St. Helen in the 6th century to serve as the Cathedral of... more
The architectural complex of the al-Madrasa al-Halawiyya in Aleppo, Syria, remains one of the most remarkable monuments in the centuries-old city. First founded as the Church of St. Helen in the 6th century to serve as the Cathedral of Byzantine Aleppo, the structure preserves evidence of a complicated building history. For example, the Cathedral was converted into a mosque in 1124; later, parts of the church were integrated into a Madrassa. More recently, damage to the structure due to the war revealed information about Byzantine building methods. This research revisits the building history of the monument by relying on a parametric, Building Information Modelling (BIM) representation to compare the surviving structure with earlier reconstructions. This article addresses the following: (1) A survey of the building's history, topography, and architecture: Over the centuries, al-Madrasa al-Halawiyya has attracted Medieval monks, travellers, brigands, scholars, and more. Their accounts offer exciting opportunities to contextualise structural and functional changes to the complex. (2) An analysis of the historical structure, especially from the Byzantine period: The presented three-dimensional (3D) documentation of the site focused on historical transformations, which the authors then traced and compared by means of BIM to reconstructions proposed by Samuel Guyer (1911) and Michel Écochard (1950). This research demonstrates how a hybrid methodology can be used to establish building phases for comparison with historical and scholarly accounts, revealing new knowledge about building techniques and processes. The presented work started with a field survey of the monument, which was used to generate a hybrid 3D point cloud. Using the point cloud, the Byzantine church was virtually reconstructed and several construction phases were identified. At the same time, Heritage-BIM models were created based on the work of Guyer and Écochard. Finally, the Guyer and Écochard models were compared with the proposed Byzantine reconstruction and point cloud.
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The rich architectural heritage of Cyprus from the period of Byzantine and Latin rule includes 10 churches inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Most of these monuments preserve wooden elements: whether structural, decorative or... more
The rich architectural heritage of Cyprus from the period of Byzantine and Latin rule includes 10 churches inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Most of these monuments preserve wooden elements: whether structural, decorative or furnishings. Many preserve wall paintings that are considered among the best examples of Byzantine and Medieval art in the Eastern Mediterranean. The dating of these paintings as well as the church buildings themselves, has been based mainly on style, with occasional dedicatory inscriptions and related historical interpretation. We report early results from a project investigating the wooden cultural heritage of Cyprus and in particular the combined use of dendrochronology with radiocarbon via tree-ring sequenced 14 C wiggle-matching to help place initial tree-ring sequences. This includes a floating 264-year Pinus brutia chronology from several monuments, which, with a ca. 5-year gap, suggests prospects for >700-years of P. brutia chronology for Cyprus, and, with one gap of several decades to fill, ca. 1100 years of Pinus nigra chronology for Cyprus. Several currently floating elements from the multi-phase UNESCO-listed Timios Stravros church at Pelendri, including a terminus post quem for the celebrated liturgical wooden cross, are approximately dated across the 11th to 16th centuries AD.
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Research Interests: Cyprus Studies, Pilgrimage Routes, History of Cyprus, Graffiti in history, Byzantine monasticism, and 15 moreSacred Landscape (Archaeology), Pilgrimage and travel to the Holy Land, Ottoman Cyprus, Byzantine and Medieval Cyprus (History and Art), Byzantine architecture and archaeology, medieval Cyprus, Medieval pilgrimage, Medieval Cyprus, Greeks in Asia Minor, Byzantine economy, Byzantine monasteries, rural landscape, Karamanlidika, Byzantine Cyprus, Byzantine Monastic Architecture, Healing Saints, Troodos, and UNESCO Cyprus
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Research Interests: Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine monasticism, THESSALONIKI, Byzantine fortifications, Late Byzantine and Early Ottoman Era, and 8 moreLate Antique and Byzantine Archaeology, Architecture and History of Art, Byzantine Towers, Byzantine Architecture on Mount Athos, Byzantine Monastic Towers, Monastic Towers on Mount Athos, Byzantine Monastic Architecture, Byzantine and Ottoman studies, and Αρχιτεκτονική της Μακεδονίας
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Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Byzantine Studies, Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine monasticism, Medieval Monasteries, and 6 moreHistory of Christian Asceticism, Orthodox Monasticism, Orthodox Monasticism and Mt. Athos, βυζαντινός μοναχισμός, Βυζαντινή αρχιτεκτονική, and βυζαντινή και μεταβυζαντινή αρχαιολογία και τέχνη
In the framework of the IH-AT (Invisible Heritage Analysis and Technology) project, a cluster of churches ranging from the 11th to the 16th centuries, located in the Troodos Mountain range of Cyprus, designated by UNESCO as World Heritage... more
In the framework of the IH-AT (Invisible Heritage Analysis and Technology) project, a cluster of churches ranging from the 11th to the 16th centuries, located in the Troodos Mountain range of Cyprus, designated by UNESCO as World Heritage monuments, were investigated using Non-Destructive-Techniques (NDT) (geophysical and topographic survey), 3D modelling and visualisation methods, contextualised and interpreted by art-historical and archaeological research. A geophysical survey, performed using a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), specifically aimed to confirm the presence or absence of buried features of archaeological interest at each of these sites, in particular, evidence of monastic complexes and buildings that used to surround preserved churches. This paper describes the preliminary results of this survey and some initial interpretations concerning what new information can be discerned about the now lost monastery complexes, in advance of future excavation.
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The present study discusses new research on the analysis of a portrait of a male figure discovered under the painting of Ecce Homo, attributed to the studio of Titian (ca. 1488 1576), with an estimated date in the 1550s. The portrait was... more
The present study discusses new research on the analysis of a portrait of a male figure discovered under the painting of Ecce Homo, attributed to the studio of Titian (ca. 1488 1576), with an estimated date in the 1550s. The portrait was examined with non-invasive methods: X-ray radiography (XRR), digital microscopy and micro-XRF. The examination of XRR images exposed the details of the painting’s underlying depiction, which according to the details preserved appears to be a completed or nearly finished portrait of a standing man. The application of digital microscopy on the Ecce Homo painting’s cracks enabled the identification of the work’s stratigraphy. Micro-XRF performed on selected spots allowed to identify lead white, vermilion, red iron oxide, umber, carbon black and copper green in the underlying portrait. The described investigation methodology was guided by the close visual analysis of the Ecce Homo work and proved to be effective in the identification of the pigments of the hidden painting and the reconstruction of its colour palette.
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Research Interests: Byzantine Studies, Byzantine Architecture, Byzantine monasticism, Byzantine and Medieval Cyprus (History and Art), Byzantine architecture, medieval Cyprus, and 11 moreByzantine architecture and archaeology, medieval Cyprus, Serres (Macedonia), Byzantine monasticism in Palaeologian Period, Byzantine economy, Byzantine monasteries, rural landscape, Sacred Landscapes, Byzantine Monastic Architecture, History of Archaeology In Cyprus and Greece, Byzantine Pottery, Topography of Byzantine and Medieval Cyprus, Monastic Landscapes, Byzantine Greek monasticism, Founders' Testaments, Monastic Typika, Byzantine Monasteries, and Βυζαντινή Κύπρος
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Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Byzantine trade, Chios, Byzantine economy, Byzantine monasteries, rural landscape, History of Commerce, History of Genoa, History of the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Studies, and Maritime History, Trade routes, Mediterranean, Ports, Port cities, Islands, and 3 moreChios Mastic Gum, Chios Island Under Genoese Rule, and Relations Between Chios and Genova
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Research Interests: Reflectance Transformation Imaging, RTI, Medieval Crete and Cyprus (History and Art), El Greco, Interface of Art and Science/technology, and 6 moreEarly Modern art history, The Creative Appropriation of Technology In Popular Culture, the Sciences and the Arts, Δομίνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος, Imaging for cultural heritage, Dominikos Theotokopoulos, and Doménikos Theotokóulos
The small panel of the 'Crucifixion' attributed to Giovanni (da Rimini) Baronzio is a perfect example of the artistic achievements of the so-called School of Rimini. Baronzio, active between 1320 and 1350, was one of the most important... more
The small panel of the 'Crucifixion' attributed to Giovanni (da Rimini) Baronzio is a perfect example of the artistic achievements of the so-called School of Rimini. Baronzio, active between 1320 and 1350, was one of the most important painters of a group of artists working in Rimini during the first half of the 14th-century whose work was heavily influenced by the work of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), characterized by Gothic and Byzantine influences. The panel, with an estimated date in the end of the 1320 s, represents a popular iconographic theme during this period and was painted in tempera and gold on wood. Non-invasive analytical approaches have revealed a rich history of interventions, re-touching and restorations, which allows for some interesting observations and considerations in regard to the work's history. The applied analytical methods and the related art historical observations and interpretations are the focus of the present article. In order to avoid micro-sampling, a non-invasive methodological approach integrating spectroscopic (μ-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), imaging (UV, X-ray radiography, infrared reflectography) and digital microscopy techniques was applied. This study aimed at the identification of the work's original materials and techniques, its state of preservation and the complex history of interventions. Results showed that while original materials of the painting conform with those used by artists in fourteenth century Renaissance Italy, there are multiple later interventions both as small-scale inpainting as well as extensive overpainting of various parts of the original Crucifixion composition. Careful consideration of these interventions can shed light to aspects of the panel's history of preservation as well as on issues of stylistic or compositional 'corrections'-always an interesting dimension of the changing perceptions of works of art through time.
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A challenging aspect of visibility studies is visual acuity, which concerns the clarity of vision within a given space in relation to variables such as spatial geometry, lighting conditions, the physical properties of the viewed object,... more
A challenging aspect of visibility studies is visual acuity, which concerns the clarity of vision within a given space in relation to variables such as spatial geometry, lighting conditions, the physical properties of the viewed object, or the familiarity of viewers with the target. Our research proposes a novel approach to visibility studies, based on visual acuity and its related pipeline, which integrates qualitative and quantitative aspects such as the cultural background of viewers, the illumination values of space, contrast, and size of objects of interest as well as their meaning and context. The proposed pipeline relies on 3D documentation of the investigated space, light measurements, research in optics, trigonometry calculations, and 3D GIS set against images and architectural space. The method's effectiveness is demonstrated in the study of the iconography of the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Nicosia, Cyprus, the work hypothesis being that the church's spatial organization, choice of scenes, and level of detail were carefully planned to establish visual narratives with strong political and religious connotations and to overall dictate the ways the building was accessed and experienced. The method can be broadly applied for visibility analyses in a variety of case-studies in closed spaces.
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The research project assessed the application of the Heritage-Building Information Modelling (H-BIM) paradigm for the study of the architectural history and conservation state of the St. John the Theologian church, the orthodox cathedral... more
The research project assessed the application of the Heritage-Building Information Modelling (H-BIM) paradigm for the study of the architectural history and conservation state of the St. John the Theologian church, the orthodox cathedral of Nicosia, an important example of Cypriot historical heritage. Despite being an important example of Orthodox architecture and art during the period of Ottoman rule in Cyprus, the building remained largely under-studied until now. Completely covered with frescoes dating from the 18th century in its interior, the church was built in 1662 on the remains of an earlier monastery. The project's adopted methodology provided the framework for a dynamic investigation, constantly evolving along several dimensions: historical, geometric spatial, architectural-constructive identification and mapping of degrade, interpretation of degenerative causes and design proposals.
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The World Heritage Convention, drawn by various international bodies in 1972, was designed to protect cultural or natural places of outstanding universal value so that future generations may be able to enjoy them. Responding to these... more
The World Heritage Convention, drawn by various international bodies in 1972, was designed to protect cultural or natural places of outstanding universal value so that future generations may be able to enjoy them. Responding to these principles as well as to the Charter on the Preservation of Digital heritage (Vancouver, 2003), this multidisciplinary project, which involves archaeologists, art historians, conservators and computer scientists, aims to create an open access, 3D interactive online geo-database of endangered architectural and archaeological heritage in the South Eastern Mediterranean basin; a region of tremendous cultural importance whose rech heritage is unfortunately threatened by both natural and human factors. A wide range of 3D modelling and topographic techniques have been applied to create accurate reconstructions of heritage sites, enriched by a extensive array of metadata.
This paper addresses complex historic sites as museum assemblages that stage urban narratives of the human experience in contested urban realities. This research framework is implemented in the on-going study of the experience of heritage... more
This paper addresses complex historic sites as museum assemblages that stage urban narratives of the human experience in contested urban realities. This research framework is implemented in the on-going study of the experience of heritage along the ‘Green Line’ of Nicosia, Cyprus that still divides the city between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Research results contribute to innovative methods of capturing, analyzing, archiving and visualizing information about the use of historically complex public spaces in contested urban environments. In this context, performative strategies of enacting, way finding and flaneurism can offer new methods to inhabit constructed realities and place visitors of archaeological sites, monuments and museums in the action of narratives related to exhibited artefacts and monuments of cultural heritage, instead of imposing ‘formalized’ knowledge (e.g. what all should know). The presented research is concerned with an experimental responsive apparatus that functions as a locus for uncertain patterns of interpretation and interaction, emerging through its capacity to sustain multiple narratives between visitors, artefacts and monuments. For the purposes of this paper archaeological sites and monuments are treated as museums containing condensed layers of inhabitation, use and experience.
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This article reports on the results of a research project entitled 'KARAVOI. The Ship Graffiti on the Medieval Monuments of Cyprus: Mapping, Documentation and Digitisation', during which 233 ship graffiti were recorded in 44 different... more
This article reports on the results of a research project entitled 'KARAVOI. The Ship Graffiti on the Medieval Monuments of Cyprus: Mapping, Documentation and Digitisation', during which 233 ship graffiti were recorded in 44 different monuments on the island, dating from the 15th to the 20th centuries. Innovative recording techniques have been used to mitigate the effects of the subjective or partial recording of graffiti lines on tracing paper. Apart from the study of ship graffiti as iconographic sources, particular emphasis has been given to their geographical and social context through a comprehensive analysis of the graffiti types and their spatial distribution in the monuments as well as the monuments location on the island.
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Rivers have been the backbone for the development of cities, yet they have also been the cause of destruction and human loss as they often flood the urban environments they cross. The ephemeral Pedieos River has been closely linked with... more
Rivers have been the backbone for the development of cities, yet they have also been the cause of destruction and human loss as they often flood the urban environments they cross. The ephemeral Pedieos River has been closely linked with the flourishing of the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, ever since the existence of a settlement in the area during the Archaic period (750–485 BC). However, flooding of the river has been the reason for the city's inundation on several occasions as records since the 14th century show. This paper examines the historical flooding of urban Nicosia caused by the Pedieos River and the mitigation measures adopted throughout the city's history. Gaining a historical perspective of Pedieos' flooding provides valuable lessons with local and regional implications, as the case of Nicosia offers an instructive example for similar phenomena in the Mediterranean basin. Historical records showed prayers and other religious rituals as flood management measures in the 14th century, while technical measures such as stormwater drainage networks and dam construction prevailed in the 20th and 21st century. As flooding issues still persist and become more complex with the rapid development of the city, integrated planning and informed policy implementation that makes good use of the lessons of history can be of critical importance.
This Getty Foundation 'Connecting Art Histories' supported project investigates the layered art histories of medieval Mediterranean cities as the basis for scholarly connections that challenge and move beyond the boundaries of modern... more
This Getty Foundation 'Connecting Art Histories' supported project investigates the layered art histories of medieval Mediterranean cities as the basis for scholarly connections that challenge and move beyond the boundaries of modern historiographies, national narratives and contemporary socioeconomic realities. Set in a region where issues of cultural heritage and identity are currently highly contested, the project looks at the material past to understand its relevance for the present and future.
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The island of Cyprus was well-known in antiquity for its substantial forests and timber resources. Dendrochronological (tree-ring dating) analysis offers the opportunity to study the timing and origin of timber exploitation with almost... more
The island of Cyprus was well-known in antiquity for its substantial forests and timber resources. Dendrochronological (tree-ring dating) analysis offers the opportunity to study the timing and origin of timber exploitation with almost unmatched precision, and provides a biological archive of past climate and environment. Yet, despite multiple studies on modern trees and forest ecology in Cyprus, almost no dendrochronological research has been conducted on the island’s numerous historical and archaeological wood materials. In response the Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory has initiated the sampling and analysis of wood from multiple historical and archaeological sites on Cyprus, including a series of villages abandoned during Cypriot Greek-Turkish inter-communal strife and resettlement during the 1960s-70s. An important aspect of this research includes determining the source of timbers using dendrochronological methods (‘dendroprovenancing’), in order to gain further information on long-term use of trees from different ecological zones and of local or imported forest resources. We concentrate here on the results of dendrochronological study of two historical villages, Ayios Sozomenos and Phinikas, which show an increase of building activity in the late 19th century-early 20th century, using local pine timber resources, and subsequent repairs to buildings throughout the 20th century, which eventually favored imported northern European timber. Ongoing work in interviewing former village inhabitants and detailed mapping and image analysis of the buildings allow further important insights into the recent, largely forgotten history of these settlements prior to their mid-20th century abandonment, as well as the environmental history of Cyprus.