Kition

History of Kition

Kition, an ancient urban centre located beneath modern Larnaca on the southeastern coast of Cyprus, stands as a pivotal archaeological site for understanding the island's complex history from the Late Bronze Age through the Iron Age and into later periods. Known by various names throughout its long occupation, including Citium, Larnaca, Kition-Kathari, Kition-Chrysopolitissa, Kition Bamboula, Kition-Kamelarga, and Kition-Pervolia, the site offers unique stratigraphic evidence for continuous human activity for well over a millennium. Its significance stems from its strategic coastal location, its role as a major port and industrial hub, and its distinct cultural trajectory influenced by both indigenous Cypriot developments and extensive foreign contacts, notably with the Aegean, Levant, and Egypt.

Early Settlement and Foundation

The earliest discernible human presence in the Kition area is indicated by scattered remains of tombs and sherds predating the establishment of the urban centre in the thirteenth century BCE. An Ancient Cypriot tomb found in the Ayios Prodromos quarter, for instance, confirms habitation as early as the late third millennium BCE. While Chalcolithic material has been found in the broader Kouklia region, including near Kition, its direct relevance to the urban core's early history and cult of fertility remains debated.

The foundation of Kition as a significant urban entity occurred in the Late Bronze Age (LC IIC), around the thirteenth century BCE. Archaeological investigations, particularly at Kition-Kathari (Area II) and Kition-Chrysopolitissa (Area I), have revealed hundreds of years of continuous occupation during this period. At Kathari, a detailed stratigraphic sequence includes Floor IV (ca. 1300-1190 BCE), Floor IIIA and III (ca. 1190-1125/1100 BCE), and Floor II (ca. 1125/1100-1050 BCE). These areas contained not only domestic remains but also workshops and cult spaces, many of which continued in use into the Iron Age. The presence of metal workshops at Kathari, evidenced by copper production and recycling, underscores Kition's role as an industrial centre. The architectural remains of temples, such as Temples 1 and 2, demonstrate the monumental character of the Late Bronze Age city. A fourth temple discovered in the sacred quarter functioned for nearly eight centuries, from the Late Bronze Age to the Cypro-Classical period, before its eventual abandonment in 312 BCE following the Ptolemaic conquest.

Late Bronze Age Prominence

Kition’s prominence in the Late Bronze Age is further attested by its rich burials, particularly at Kition-Chrysopolitissa, which rivaled those of other established polities on the island in terms of number and quality of imported goods. Tombs published by Myres, Karageorghis, and Georgiou provide substantial funerary assemblages from this period. Tomb 9, for example, was exceptionally rich, containing the remains of at least 48 individuals across two burial periods (LCIIC and early LCIIIA), with evidence of secondary burial practices. Tomb 3 also yielded skeletons in extended dorsal positions, and a pit tomb contained fragmented pottery and the remains of several children.

The city's extensive trade networks are evident from the material culture recovered. Imported Mycenaean pottery was fundamental for establishing the chronology of Kition’s initial settlement. Other foreign imports include Anatolian pottery and a notable abundance of faience vessels, likely from Egypt via Syria. Kition, alongside Enkomi, Hala Sultan Tekke, and Palaepaphos, was one of the few administrative centres in Cyprus that managed to sustain its urban settlement through the transformative period of the Late Cypriot IIC-IIIA crisis.

The Iron Age and Phoenician Influence

A significant scholarly contribution regarding Kition comes from the Swedish archaeologist Einar Gjerstad, whose excavations in 1929-1930 provided foundational evidence for the cultural sequence of the Iron Age in Cyprus. Gjerstad's work suggested continuous occupation from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age, a claim that positioned Kition as the only extensively excavated settlement on the island exhibiting such an unbroken sequence. However, subsequent excavations, particularly at Kition-Kathari, revealed a potential gap in settlement between Floor I (ca. 1000 BCE) and Floor 3 (ca. 800-725 BCE), attributing it to an abandonment of the site. This presents a nuanced view, suggesting that while the broader Kition area may have maintained continuity, specific urban sectors experienced periods of reduced activity or abandonment.

During the Iron Age, Kition underwent a significant transformation, becoming a prominent Phoenician city by the late eighth century BCE. While some scholars argue Kition was initially a colony of Tyre, perhaps identified as Qarthadash, others suggest it gained independence in the Classical age when local kings began striking their own coins. Regardless, the Phoenician presence reshaped the city, with a new Phoenician sanctuary being established on the ruins of the Late Bronze Age temples. This sanctuary saw four main phases of use from the ninth to the fourth centuries BCE.

Political Power and Infrastructure

Kition’s political aspirations during the Iron Age are well-documented. It functioned as a city-kingdom, and Phoenician epigraphic documents shed light on the kings of Kition and their spheres of influence. The Idalion bronze tablet, a crucial Cypriot document, illustrates Kition’s aggression towards Idalion to acquire territory. Kition eventually annexed Idalion in the mid-fifth century BCE, radically altering the political landscape of the Mesaoria plain. There are also indications that Kition played a role in the emergence of Lapethos as an independent kingdom, possibly by maneuvering against Idalion, whose port Lapethos was.

The site of Kition-Bamboula, though often mistakenly referred to as the Acropolis of Kition, was a critical component of the city’s infrastructure. French excavations at Bamboula have revealed a military harbour (neōria) and ship sheds, highlighting Kition's maritime power. An ostrakon found on Bamboula Hill provides evidence of Carian presence in Kition, referring to KRSYM (Carians) and possibly MLṢ, an interpreter, suggesting their integration into the city's administration or specialized roles.

External Relations and Decline

Kition’s external relations during the Iron Age extended to the Greek world, despite its strong Phoenician character. However, there is a notable scarcity of Kition-sourced imports in the central Levant from the early eighth century BCE onwards, potentially due to the increasing influence of Phoenician-type pottery in Kition's local ceramic production, rendering Kition's vessels less distinctive or desirable for Phoenicians residing in the Levant.

The end of Kition’s prominence as an independent city-kingdom came with the Ptolemaic conquest of Cyprus in 312 BCE, which saw the demise of the Phoenician dynasty and the killing of its last king, Pumayyaton.

Archaeological Discoveries and Legacy

Beyond the major occupation phases, archaeological work at Kition has yielded a diverse range of artifacts. These include Cypro-Minoan inscribed terracotta balls from Kition-Kathari, various pottery types such as Mycenaean, Greek, Phoenician, and Black-on-Red wares, and numerous terracotta figurines. Ivories and bone objects, along with coinage, further illustrate the material culture and economic activities of the site. Specific architectural features like the ring kernos, altar fragments, and a bovine scapula with notches have also been unearthed at Kition-Kathari.

Kition's unique status as the only continuously excavated settlement spanning the Bronze to Iron Age transition in Cyprus has made it a crucial site for broader archaeological inquiries. Its urban development, the emergence of city-kingdoms, the dynamics of long-distance trade, and the complex interplay of indigenous and foreign cultural influences are all subjects illuminated by the extensive material record from Kition. While specific localities within Kition, such as Kathari, Chrysopolitissa, Bamboula, and Kamelarga, have revealed distinct facets of the city's life—from religious practices and industrial activities to domestic structures and funerary customs—their collective study contributes to a holistic understanding of Kition as a resilient urban entity. The ongoing research and the systematic publication of findings continue to refine our understanding of this ancient Cypriot powerhouse, making Kition an enduring focus in Levantine and Cypriot archaeology.