The topic of this article is the underwater survey that took place at Cape Petounda on the southern coast of Cyprus in the summer of 2016. In the ancient anchorage of Cape Petounda, abundant identifiable underwater evidence (45 stone anchors and two lead stocks) and terrestrial archaeological remains testify that this previously unsurveyed area presented important activity in the past.
The sitePetounda is an area in the district of Mazotos, Larnaca (Fig. 1). The literal meaning of the toponym is 'she who is flying' (from the Greek verb πετώ, fly). A few other names have been cited for this area, such as Bendunda, Bolas Burnu (Ottoman toponym), Cap Mezotos, and Cape Malzotos (Goodwin, 1985(Goodwin, :1349. On older maps the cape is mainly named after the nearby village of Mazotos; this indicates that the present name for the cape might be more recent.Nowadays Petounda is an agricultural area, and is also a well-known spot for spear fishing throughout the year. This activity raises the risk of looting and highlights the necessity for recording and protecting any ancient remains in this area.At the edge of the promontory (Fig. 2, no.1), which is the highest point in the area (maximum height 10m), stand the remains of an early Christian baptistery. This is the only official archaeological activity that has taken place in the area; the site of the baptistery has been declared an Ancient Monument of Schedule B
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