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This volume attempts to present a comprehensive account of the historical developments in Cyprus during the period of the production of White Slip Wares (ca 1580-1180 BC). Using the Kitchen chronology for the Egyptian New Kingdom, which commenced in 1540 BC, the study emphasizes the importance of archaeological records and how context analysis allows more precision in a relative chronology. This period witnessed the emergence of Cyprus into the political and economic interaction of the East Mediterranean. With special focus on White Slip pottery, the historical events outlined herein demonstrate the growth of Cyprus into a vibrant, independent society from the early 16th century BC into the 12th century BC. Throughout this period, Cyprus developed trade, cultural as well as "diplomatic" relations with the most powerful kingdoms of the surrounding area. A focal point of the study is the role of Cypriot wares - especially White Slip, Base-ring and Red Lustrous Wheel-made - on the island itself as well as in other places. A major role is given to White Slip as it is considered a chronological beacon in the analysis of events during the Late Bronze Age, a time when there are few historical references to the island and its people. Comprising eight chapters, this comprehensive analysis of Cyprus's material culture is accompanied by a historical account in which the period in Cyprus from 1580-1180 BC is divided into seven chronological periods based on Astrom's original chronology. The comprehensive historical discussion in Chapter VII seeks to depict the interactions between Cyprus and the surrounding cultures during this period. The interpretation of the evidence shows that the island's leaders were skilful in achieving a balance between the interests of these various civilizations, which included the Minoan and Mycenaean from the Aegean, the Canaanite groups, the Hittite Empire, and of course the Egyptians. The evidence shows that independent Late Bronze Age Cyprus established extensive trade and diplomatic links with these societies - notwithstanding the various conflicts among them. The Cypriots managed this within the complex and changing interrelationships between the empires during these very turbulent times. In so doing, Late Bronze Age Cyprus managed to develop the creative skills of its people - this especially reflected in the wide range of its ceramic wares (such as White Slip) as well as their extensive production and distribution to many lands.
In the archaeological reconstruction of prehistoric production and exchange systems, the use of provenience techniques has assumed a high profile. The primary aim of such archaeometric work has been the objective identification of non-local materials, and the isolation or elimination of specific stone, metal or clay sources. However, the important step of specifying and examining critically the relationships between archaeological data, human action, analytical results, and cultural interpretation has seldom been taken.
A. Bernard Knapp presents a new island archaeology and island history of Bronze Age and early Iron Age Cyprus, set in its Mediterranean context. Drawing out tensions between different ways of thinking about islands, and how they are connected or isolated from surrounding islands and mainlands, Knapp addresses an under-studied but dynamic new field of archaeological enquiry - the social identity of prehistoric and protohistoric Mediterranean islanders. In treating issues such as ethnicity, migration, and hybridization, he provides an up-to-date theoretical analysis of a wide range of relevant archaeological data. In using historical documents to re-present the Cypriot past, he also offers an integrated archaeological and socio-historical synthesis of insularity and social identity on the Mediterranean's third largest island.
investigates the role of monumental architecture in shaping social dynamics and power relations on the island of Cyprus during the Late Bronze Age
The beginning of the Late Bronze Age on Cyprus saw a range of dramatic changes occurring in the settlement patterns and material culture of the island, accompanied by evidence for increased interaction with the surrounding region. These include population movements from small inland to larger, nucleated coastal settlements, an increase in social stratification and copper production, the first evidence for literacy, and Cyprus becoming increasingly involved in the complex exchange networks of the eastern Mediterranean. Central to any study of the island's prehistory is the coastal settlement of Enkomi, often considered to be the first state-like entity on the island and identified with the Alashiya of contemporary textual. The author's main goal in this volume is to examine the archaeological evidence for the beginnings of the transformation of Cypriot society as it stands, to seek to understand the individual aspects of the process and to separate this from the later LCIIC outcomes. The author utilises the Enkomi pottery assemblage to examine the introduction of wheelmade pottery and thereby investigate the processes through which Cypriot society became highly complex, including whether the evidence points to early centralized control or independent regional developments. However, in order to understand the pottery, it was necessary to investigate all types of archaeological evidence pertaining to the early history of the site and this volume also includes discussion of architecture, tombs and other aspects of material culture. Part 1 provides the theoretical background to investigations of social complexity and discusses the applications. Part 2 addresses the evidence for both settlement and ceramics during the Cypriot Bronze Age. Part 3 is devoted to the analysis of the Enkomi data. Part 4 presents the author's conclusions.