An exciting archaeological discovery in island of cyprus revealed elite Bronze Age tombs filled with artifacts that demonstrate the wealth and burgeoning commerce of the era.
Archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of ancient artifacts, including pure gold tiaras, which provide fascinating insights into the lives and business connections of the Cypriot elite.
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The tombs reveal the abundance of wealth among the people buried there, who depended on the copper trade to make bronze.
Cyprus was an important producer of copper at the time and traded with other major cultures in the region, such as the Minoans in Crete, the Mycenaeans in Greece and the ancient Egyptians.
Artifacts found include not only imported items, but also everyday objects such as freshwater Nile fish bones, indicating the intensity of trade between these cultures.
(image: Peter Fischer/reproduction)
The discovery was made by a team of
archaeologists, led by professor emeritus Peter Fischer, from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.Excavations have been carried out at Hala Sultan Tekke, an important Bronze Age trading emporium on the south coast of Cyprus, since 2010.
The two tombs discovered contain more than 500 artifacts, including ceramics from Crete, Greece and Sardinia, Baltic amber ornaments, precious stones of various origins, bronze mirrors, daggers, knives and spikes spear.
Among the most notable artifacts are the golden diadems, richly engraved with images of bulls, gazelles, lions and flowers.
Although similar in style to the Minoans, the diadems were probably made in Egypt during the 18th dynasty, between 1550 BC and 1550 BC. W. and 1295 a. W.
(image: Peter Fischer/reproduction)
The wealth of Cyprus' elite was linked to their control of the copper ore mines in the Troodos Mountains, in the west of the island. Copper was a valuable metal at the time, fundamental in the production of bronze.
To the tombs discoveries are considered one of the richest in the Mediterranean region and indicate that its occupants ruled the city, which was a copper trading center between 1500 a. W. and 1300 a. W.
The researchers also plan to conduct DNA analysis to determine family ties between the people buried in the tombs.
In addition, the analysis of isotopes present in the bones can provide information about the geographic origins of these individuals.
The discovery of elite tombs in the ancient city of Hala Sultan Tekke reveals the importance of Cyprus during the Bronze Age, serving as a meeting place for different cultures and a thriving center of commerce.
This discovery contributes significantly to our understanding of the region's history and trade connections in antiquity.