Khirokitia or Choirokoitia is one of the most important Neolithic settlements in the eastern Mediterranean as it provides insight into the evolution of human society in this region. The village was occupied for several millennia starting around 7000 BCE until it was abandoned in 4000 BCE. There was a brief interruption of settlement in mid-6000 BCE, when other sites in the region were also abruptly abandoned; Khirokitia was resettled about 1,000 years later.
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of burial customs and figurines that suggest that the people who inhabited the village performed rituals and religious practices. About 20 houses have been excavated and reconstructions of five houses have been built at a nearby site as educational tools for visitors to Khirokitia.
