The Creative Independence of Late Bronze Age Cyprus : An Account of the Archaeological Importance of White Slip Ware

by: Eriksson, K.O.

Price: 87,50 EURO

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ERIKSSON Kathryn O.
The Creative Independence of Late Bronze Age Cyprus
An Account of the Archaeological Importance of White Slip Ware
Contributions to the Chronology of the Eastern Mediterranean, 10
Denkschriften der Gesamtakademie, 38

This volume attempts to present a comprehensive account of the historical developments in Cyprus which occurred during the period of the production of White Slip Wares (ca 1580–1180 BC). Using the Kitchen chronology for the Egyptian New Kingdom, which commences at 1540 BC, the study emphasizes the importance of the archaeological record and how context analysis allows the development of the relative chronology. This period witnesses the emergence of Cyprus within the political and economic interaction of the East Mediterranean. With special focus on White Slip pottery, the historical events outlined herein demonstrate that Cyprus grew into a vibrant, independent society from the early 16th century BC continuing into the 12th century BC. Throughout this time, Cyprus developed trade, cultural and diplomatic relations with the most powerful surrounding kingdoms. There is a focus on the role of Cypriot wares – especially White Slip, Base-ring and Red Lustrous Wheel-made – within the island and externally. A major role is given to White Slip which is represented as a chronological beacon in the analysis of events during the Late Bronze Age; a time when there are few historical references to the island and its people. With eight chapters, this comprehensive analysis of the 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 Åström's original chronology. The broad ranging historical discussion in Chapter VII seeks to demonstrate the interactions between Cyprus and the surrounding societies during this period. The evidence is interpreted here to show that the island's leaders were skilful in achieving a balance between the interests of the various civilizations: 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 between them. The Cypriots managed this in the context of complex and changing interrelationships between the empires during very turbulent times. In so doing, Late Bronze Age Cyprus managed to develop the creative skills of its people – especially as reflected in the range, production and extensive distribution in many lands of its ceramic wares (such as White Slip).

CONTENTS
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1. The Continuity of White Slip Ware as a Sign of Cypriot Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2. Brief Account of the Archaeological History of White Slip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3. The Key Role of the White Slip and Other Cypriot Wares as Chronological Beacons
in the Eastern Mediterranean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4. Chronological Phases and Historical Periods in the Late Cypriot Bronze Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5. The First Historical Period – the Last Years of the Hyksos (LC IA:1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
6. The Second Historical Period – Early 18th Dynasty (LC IA:2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7. The Third Historical Period – the Impact of Thutmosis III (LC IB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
8. The Fourth Historical Period – Suppiluliuma I, Amenhotep III
and the Early Amarna Period (LC IIA:1–2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
9. A Brief Account of the Historical Periods 5, 6 and 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
10. Brief Outline of the Chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
I. KEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LATE CYPRIOT CHRONOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1. Brief Archaeological History of the Attempts to Define the Late Cypriot Chronology . . . . . . . . . . 37
2. Refining Åström?s Definitions of the Late Cypriot Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3. White Slip in Relation to the Production and Distribution of Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4. On the Distinctive Nature and Decoration of the White Slip Wares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5. Critique of the ?Intra-Island Barrier? Thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
II. SIGNIFICANT CONTEXTS IN THE DISCOVERY OF PROTO WHITE SLIP AND THE PHASES
OF ITS DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
1. Phase 1 PWS: The Early Phase of PWS Linked to the Middle Cypriot Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
2. Transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of PWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3. Phase 2 PWS: The Major Extended Period of Its Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4. Archaeological Evidence of Conflict in Cyprus During LC IA:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
5. PWS at Tell el-Dabca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
6. PWS at Megiddo and Tell el-cAjjul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
7. Cyprus and the Minoan Civilization During LC IA:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8. Transition from PWS Phase 2 to WS I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
III. CONTEXTS IN THE DISCOVERY OF WHITE SLIP I AND THE THERA CONTROVERSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
1. The ?Rope Lattice? Group and the First Appearance of WS I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
2. The Significance of the WS I ?Rope Lattice? at Toumba tou Skourou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
3. WS I ?RL? at Palaepaphos Teratsoudhia Tombs 104 and 105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
4. Other Key WS I Sites in Cyprus: Ayia Irini, Enkomi and Episkopi Bamboula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
5. WS I in Egypt: The Significance of the Bowl from cEzbet Helmi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
6. WS I and the Aegean Civilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
7. Stratified White Slip from Tell el-Dabca and Tell el-cAjjul: Identification of a Problem . . . . . . . . . 103
8. Critique of Manning?s ?Intra-Island Barrier? Thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
9. White Slip, the Thera Eruption and Manning?s ?A Test of Time? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
10. Critique of Manning?s Claims on WS I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
11. Warren on the Minoan Evidence for the Eruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
12. The Distinctive Features of the LC IB Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
IV. TRANSITION FROM THE LC IB PERIOD AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHITE SLIP II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
1. The Transition from LC IB and the Transitional WS I–II/WS II Early Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
2. The Role and Distinctive Nature of WS IIA Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
3. The First Appearance and Economic Basis of White Slip II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
4. Production Sites During the Long Life of White Slip II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
5. The Extensive Geographical Distribution of WS II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
6. The Association of Red Lustrous Wheel-made and White Slip Wares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
7. The Historical Context of WS II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
8. End of the White Slip – WS III (or WS II late) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
V. OUTSIDE CYPRUS: OTHER LATE CYPRIOT WARES IN FOREIGN CONTEXTS – ISSUES OF SYNCHRONISM . . . . 155
1. From Local Proto Base-ring to International Base-ring I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
2. On the Significance of BR I Pottery in Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
3. BR I Evidence in Egypt Relating to Historical Period 3 – LC IB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
4. The Chronological Importance of Red Lustrous Wheel-made Wares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
5. The Discoveries at Ugarit (Ras Shamra) and the Links with Cyprus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
6. Ceramic Evidence of the Links Between Cyprus and Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
7. Some Other Cypriot Finds in Canaan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
8. White Slip and Other Cypriot Pottery at Alalakh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
9. A Survey of Late Cypriot Pottery in Anatolia and the Amuq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
10. Conclusions from the Evidence of Cypriot Ceramics and Anatolia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
VI. FOREIGN ARTEFACTS FOUND IN LATE BRONZE AGE CYPRUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
1. Tell el-Yahudiyeh Ware at Toumba tou Skourou and Other Sites in Cyprus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
2. Late Minoan IA Pottery Associated with PWS in Cyprus During LC IA:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
3. LM IA and LM IB in Cyprus During the 18th Dynasty (LC IA:2 and LC IB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
4. Cyprus and the Early 18th Dynasty Egypt – the Serpentine Vase of Ahmose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
5. The ?Mechak? Razors from Egypt of Thutmosis III Date in Cyprus During LC IB . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
6. Mycenaean Pottery in Cyprus to the Reign of Amenhotep III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
7. Mycenaean Pottery in Cyprus During and After the Reign of Akhenaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
8. Egyptian Amphorae from Late Cypriot II Contexts in Cyprus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
VII. HISTORICAL CONCLUSIONS ON THE LINKS BETWEEN CYPRUS AND OTHER SOCIETIES DURING THE
CYPRIOT LATE BRONZE AGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
1. Period 1: The Late Hyksos Period and the Links with Cyprus – LC IA:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
2. Period 2: The Links Between Cyprus and Other Societies During the
Early 18th Dynasty – LC IA:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
3. Period 3: The Attempted Invasion of Cyprus and Other Events During the LC IB Period . . . . . . . 211
4. Period 4: Suppiluliuma I, Amenhotep III and Cyprus During LC IIA:1–2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
5. Period 5: Cyprus, the Hittites, the Egyptians and the Mycenaeans
During the Amarna Era (LC IIB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
6. Period 6: Conflict of Empires in the Eastern Mediterranean and the
Role of Cyprus During the First Part of LC IIC:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
7. Period 7: Independent Cyprus and Historical Events in the Region
During the Second Part of LC IIC:1 and LC IIC:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
VIII. THE END OF AN ERA AND A GENERAL CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Bibliographical Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

The Creative Independence of Late Bronze Age Cyprus : An Account of the Archaeological Importance of White Slip Ware

by: Eriksson, K.O.

• ISBN-13: 9783700136637 / 978-3-7001-3663-7
• ISBN-03: 3700136633 / 3-7001-3663-3
• Verlag der Osterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien, 2007

Price: 87,50 EURO

1 copy in stock