Following a study season in the summer of 1996, the Athienou Archaeological Project, sponsored by Davidson College, conducted its eighth season of investigations at the site of Athienou-Malloura and the surrounding valley between 6 June and 25 July. Our work focused mainly on the Archaic-Roman rural sanctuary. Additionally, limited excavation at Magara Tepesi ("Hill of the Tombs"), north of the sanctuary, revealed a rock-cut water cistern almost identical to another nearby cistern excavated in 1995. Its arrangement and proximity to the Hellenistic-Roman tombs suggests that it was contemporary with them and that it may have been used in funerary rituals.

In the eastern part of the sanctuary excavation in EU 10 exposed a large portion of the surface of the Early Hellenistic packing created during the sanctuary's reorganization in the last quarter of the fourth century B.C. Also, the foundations of a destroyed/ robbed section of the eastern peribolos wall were laid bare. In the western part of the sanctuary work continued in EU 14 and 98, and two new trenches were opened up. The new areas, EU 18 and 20, revealed additional portions of the two walls (Classical ?) meeting at a right angle in EU 14. Moreover, a small segment of a stout Archaic wall running northeast-southwest and traversing EU 94 was exposed; it may have served, partially, as a retaining wall in the early phases of the sanctuary.

The most noteworthy ceramic finds were several nearly complete plain ware jugs and fragments of a fine Cypro-Archaic I bichrome bowl - all from EU 94. Other finds included fragmentary stone vessels and utensils (e.g., "ash shovels"), and terracotta figurines (e.g., horses, chariots), the most impressive among the latter being that of a priest wearing a bull mask. Literally hundreds of fragmentary limestone sculptures were forthcoming as well, including the largest and finest set of heads (Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic) hitherto found in the sanctuary. While most sculptures were of votaries, several represented Pan and two were of "temple boys".