THE
BRONZE AGE : 2500 - 1050 B.C.
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LATE BRONZE (LATE CYPRIOT) |
1650-1050 BC
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| By the Late Bronze (or Late Cypriot) Cyprus was fully integrated into a far-flung exchange network connecting the Aegean, Egypt and Syria-Palestine. Sustained by wealth generated through the export of copper and the island's convenient juxtaposition between the Near East and Aegean, fortified cities flourished at Enkomi, Hala Sultan Tekke, Kition, and Episkopi Bamboula; with major unfortified commercial settlements at Maroni Vournes , Morphou Tomba Tou Skourou, Kalavassos Ayios Dhimitrios and Alassa. | ||
| The kingdom of "Alashiya" (almost certainly meaning the island of Cyprus) figures prominently in cuneiform texts found at Ugarit on the Syrian coast and at El Amarna in Middle Egypt. These texts demonstrate that the rulers of Alashiya maintained economic and diplomatic relationships with all the major surrounding kingdoms. Tablets from the Hittite capital of Hattusha in central Anatolia also mention Alashiya. The Greek Linear B tablets lack any direct reference to Cyprus, but finds of Mycenaean pottery throughout the island attest to intensive contacts with mainland Greece. Cyprus also probably served as a trans-shipment point for Mycenaean goods bound for Syria-Palestine or Egypt. The Mycenaeans came first as traders, then stayed on as settlers, enriching Cypriot ceramic traditions and introducing Greek language and culture to the island. | ||
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After 1200 BC Cyprus was caught up in the generalized collapse of eastern Mediterranean civilization that led to the abandonment of Mycenae and other cities in mainland Greece, the destruction of Hattusha and Ugarit and the descent of the "Sea Peoples" on Egypt and southern Canaan. In the midst of these upheavals Mycenaean refugees began arriving on Cyprus. Their settlements have been uncovered at Pyla Kokkinokremnos north of Kition and at Maa Palaeokastro on the west coast. These newcomers encountered other refugees fleeing the Syrian mainland and Anatolia, as well as remnants of the indigenous Bronze Age Cypriot population. Such disparate cultural elements were amalgamated as Cyprus entered the Iron Age. |
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A Late Cypriot Tomb from Enkomi
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Tombs were located under streets or dug into the bedrock in the courtyards of houses. Multiple burials were customary within a single chamber, where members of a family group might be interred with abundant tomb gifts. Recognizable ceramic shapes belonging to Late Cypriot wares, such as Base Ring and White Slip, can be seen in the tomb drawing to the left. | ||
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Last Modified: 11/15/99