I have visited the site on many occassions and each time the experience has been very moving for me.

Some forty years ago, as a young child, I visited the site with my school from the modern village above the settlement. We were allowed to walk around the site, touch and imagine life there. The wild flowers growing only served to make the hill a part of our heritage. Many years later, I spoke to elderly residents of the present-day village who told of the digging and interest in the site. They state that a number of uttensils had been found by the locals, who finding them in their fields, used them in their evryday life. When the French archaelogists turned up at the village in the 1930's these items were identified and taken away. Most of the villagers were employed in the dig and the old men told of the fun and excitement they had as youngsters, when new pieces of broken utensils were found. Sadly today, the site has been barrakaded and a fee is needed to enter it. It was part of our life, growing up in the village, but now it is another monument for the tourists. What has this taught us? The villagers always knew that people, possibly their ancesters had lived there. The river running next to the hill obviously gives the clue to the settlement. This 'modernisation' of the site has actually taken it away from the local community and basically, has allowed strangers to make money out of it. This is happening constantly, sites are being cleaned-up and fenced off so that tourists can visit in clean, sanitised guided tours.

Maybe I am just a sad old person. But the whole earth is being compartmentalised and examined as another exhibit. Every bit of southern Cyprus seems like this today. A vast museum! Where is the real, live Cyprus where errosion and evolution continue?