Even nowadays, some residents of   Archimandrita still exercise traditional professions such as the ones of the plough maker, the coachman, the lumberjack, the builder, the blacksmith, the barber, the quarryman and the shoemaker.

Plough Maker
The manufacturing of the plough and the repair of the damaged parts of the plough was undertaken by the plough maker. The most central parts of a plough are the “voula”, the “podarin” and the “spathi”. The “podarin” is a wooden piece of the plough on which the ploughshare is supported horizontally. The “voula” is also a wooden part of the plough, and in particular a thick compass timber which is connected to the edge of the “podarin” on the one side. The lower part of the “voula” was formed by the plough maker according to the intended usage of the plough, meaning whether the plough would be used for seeding or for cultivating the land. The “voula” and the “podarin” are connected to the “spathi” forming an obtuse angle. The remaining parts of the plough are attached according to their usage, either on “the voula” or “on the podarin”.    

Builder
Theprofessionofthebuildercontinuestosurviveeventoday, butithasevolvedandpresentssomedifferences. The builder of the past would undertake the entire construction of the house since there weren’t any specialized professionals, for example people specialized in plastering or setting forming blocks.

The construction materials used by the builder in the past included plinth, clay containing straw, pieces of stone and pebbles, as well as carved stones.

Lumberjack
The lumberjack would go to the forestry areas of Archimandrita to cut timber and he would then transfer the timber to the village where he would sell it.   

Barber  
The barber of the village would not only undertake the shaving and haircut of his customers, but the extraction of their teeth as well. The barber’s basic tools included the comb, the scissors, the razor and the sharpening tool. 

Quarryman
The quarryman’s basic tools included the sprag, the pickaxe and the donkey’s petals which he would use to detach large rocks. He would also use a metallic crowbar, a thick axe, a shovel and some metallic containers.  

Shoemaker
The shoemaker would fix shoes and mainly boots worn daily by the villagers while working in the fields. The shoemaker, along with the repair of the shoes, would also undertake the painting and polishing of the shoes, as well as the making of new shoes.  

The above profession survived in the village until the 60s. However, in contrast to the traditional professions which have been abandoned, the villagers still continue to make traditional dishes made of grapes and carobs. Moreover, the women of the village make several traditional cold-cuts such as “tsamarella” and “lountza”.     

Sources:
Ionas Ioannis, Traditional Cyprus Professions, Lefkosia 2001
Great Cyprus Encyclopaedia, 1988, Filokypros Publications