Topic
Kingship and Politics
Rulers, city-kingdoms and political organisation on Cyprus, from the emerging elites of the Bronze Age to the kings of the Iron Age cities.
23 entries in 6 sections
Pottery
1 entrySection overview
Weapons and Armour
3 entriesSection overview
Arms and Armour of Iron Age CyprusThe iron and bronze weapons, armour and chariots of Cyprus from the first iron daggers of c. 1100–1050 BCE to the end of the city-kingdoms around 310 BCE.Cypro-GeometricCypro-ArchaicCypro-Classical
Fortifications in Ancient Cyprus: From Khirokitia to the Siege of PaphosThe walls, forts and enclosures Cypriots built in a few distinct episodes, from Aceramic Khirokitia to the city walls of the Iron Age kingdoms.NeolithicMiddle Bronze AgeLate Bronze AgeCypro-GeometricCypro-ArchaicCypro-Classical
Weapons and Armour of Ancient CyprusSectionThe weapons, armour and fortifications of ancient Cyprus, from Neolithic projectile points to the iron swords and war imagery of the Iron Age kingdoms.NeolithicChalcolithicEarly Bronze AgeMiddle Bronze AgeLate Bronze AgeCypro-GeometricCypro-Archaic
Cultures
5 entriesSection overview
Achaemenid PersiaThe Persian Empire, which held the Cypriot city-kingdoms as tribute-paying client states from c. 545 or 525 BCE until 332 BCE.Cypro-ArchaicCypro-Classical
EgyptAncient Egypt, Cyprus's partner in copper, pottery and prestige goods from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemies, who annexed the island.Middle Bronze AgeLate Bronze AgeCypro-ArchaicCypro-ClassicalHellenistic
Hittite Empire and CyprusThe Late Bronze Age Anatolian empire that claimed Alashiya as a tributary but left almost no material trace on Cyprus.Late Bronze Age
Neighboring CulturesSectionCyprus's relations with Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, the Aegean and the Near Eastern empires, from the Chalcolithic to the Cypro-Archaic period.ChalcolithicEarly Bronze AgeMiddle Bronze AgeLate Bronze AgeCypro-GeometricCypro-Archaic
Neo-Assyrian Empire and CyprusThe Mesopotamian empire to which the Cypriot kings submitted around 709 BCE, ruling them indirectly as tribute-paying clients.Cypro-Archaic
Architecture
4 entriesSection overview
Late Bronze Age Towns and BuildingsHow Late Bronze Age Cyprus built its first towns: street grids, large ashlar buildings with storage halls, courtyard houses, and the short-lived settlements of the twelfth century.Middle Bronze AgeLate Bronze Age
Iron Age Cities and PalacesThe capitals of the Iron Age kingdoms of Cyprus, their palaces at Vouni, Amathus, Idalion and Palaepaphos, their houses, and the volute and Hathor capitals of the period.Cypro-GeometricCypro-ArchaicCypro-Classical
Iron Age SanctuariesThe Cypriot Iron Age sanctuary was a walled open-air court with an altar, sacred trees and small roofed rooms; Greek-style temples arrived only under Rome.Cypro-GeometricCypro-ArchaicCypro-ClassicalHellenisticRoman
Royal and Built TombsTombs built of cut stone in Cyprus, from the ashlar tombs under Late Bronze Age houses at Enkomi to the royal tombs of Salamis and Tamassos and the rock-cut courts of Nea Paphos.Late Bronze AgeCypro-GeometricCypro-ArchaicCypro-ClassicalHellenistic
Daily Life
3 entriesSection overview
Coins of Ancient CyprusThe coins struck in Cyprus from the late sixth century BCE by the city-kingdoms, then by Alexander, the Ptolemies and Rome, and what they record.Cypro-ArchaicCypro-ClassicalHellenisticRoman
Food Storage in Ancient Cyprus: Pits, Pithoi and StoreroomsHow Cypriots stored grain, oil and wine, from Chalcolithic pits and household jars to the great pithos halls of the Late Bronze Age towns.NeolithicChalcolithicEarly Bronze AgeMiddle Bronze AgeLate Bronze AgeCypro-GeometricCypro-Archaic
Writing and Literacy in Ancient CyprusThe scripts of ancient Cyprus, from undeciphered Cypro-Minoan to the Cypriot Syllabary, Eteocypriot, Phoenician and the Greek alphabet, and who used them.Late Bronze AgeCypro-GeometricCypro-ArchaicCypro-ClassicalHellenistic
Chronology
7 entriesSection overview
Cypro-Geometric CyprusThe Early Iron Age of Cyprus, c. 1050–750 BCE, of new dromos tombs, early ironworking, the Cypriot Syllabary and the debated origins of the city-kingdoms.Cypro-Geometric
Cypro-Archaic CyprusThe age of the Cypriot city-kingdoms, c. 750–475 BCE, under Assyrian, Egyptian and Persian overlordship, with rural sanctuaries and regional pottery styles.Cypro-Archaic
Cypro-Classical CyprusThe last phase of the Cypriot city-kingdoms, c. 480–310 BCE, under loose Persian overlordship, ending when Ptolemy I abolished the kings.Cypro-Classical
Hellenistic CyprusThe Ptolemaic period in Cyprus, c. 310–31 BCE, when the city-kingdoms were abolished and the island was governed as one province from Nea Paphos.Hellenistic
Roman CyprusCyprus as a Roman province from 58 BCE to the fourth century CE, governed from Nea Paphos, mined for copper, and finally wrecked by earthquakes.Roman
Byzantine and Medieval CyprusCyprus from the seventh century to the Ottoman conquest of 1570-71, under Byzantine, Lusignan and Venetian rule, and its glazed sgraffito pottery.
Late Antique and Early Byzantine CyprusCyprus from the founding of Constantinople to the Arab raids of the mid-seventh century, ruled from Constantia and reshaped by earthquakes and the Church.Roman