Necropolis of Kissonerga-Ammoudhia : techniques of ceramic production in Early-Middle Bronze Age Western Cyprus
The Early-Middle Bronze Age in Cyprus (c. 2300-1650 BCE) is still poorly understood, in spite of Cyprus's strategic importance in the Mediterranean and the revolutionary cultural transformations that occurred at the end of this period. The west coast in particular, has remained a relatively blank spot on the map of the Eastern Mediterranean, where excavations have been entirely lacking until very recently. In the absence of excavated sites, a great deal of information regarding western Cypriot society from this period must be derived from pottery. This thesis aims to understand the nature of the ceramic material culture in the west through an analysis of the ceramics from the cemetery of Kissonerga-Ammoudhia, at present the largest corpus of western Cypriot funerary pottery from this period. The entire excavated assemblage is presented and a multidisciplinary approach to the ceramics is applied. A traditional typological study was conducted on the entire assemblage, and a microscopic petrographic analysis applied to a sample in order to identify the manufacturing techniques used by the potters. This corpus of information can be used to test the nature and validity of evidence for regional identity. Although
Graham, Lisa Marie
archaeology ; Bronze Age ; Cyprus ; ceramics
Necropolis of Kissonerga-Ammoudhia : techniques of ceramic production in Early-Middle Bronze Age Western Cyprus. The Early-Middle Bronze Age in Cyprus (c. 2300-1650 BCE) is still poorly understood, in spite of Cyprus's strategic importance in the Mediterranean and the revolutionary cultural transformations that occurred at the end of this period. The west coast in particular, has remained a relatively blank spot on the map of the Eastern Mediterranean, where excavations have been entirely lacking until very recently. In the absence of excavated sites, a great deal of information regarding western Cypriot society from this period must be derived from pottery. This thesis aims to understand the nature of the ceramic material culture in the west through an analysis of the ceramics from the cemetery of Kissonerga-Ammoudhia, at present the largest corpus of western Cypriot funerary pottery from this period. The entire excavated assemblage is presented and a multidisciplinary approach to the ceramics is applied. A traditional typological study was conducted on the entire assemblage, and a microscopic petrographic analysis applied to a sample in order to identify the manufacturing techniques used by the potters. This corpus of information can be used to test the nature and validity of evidence for regional identity. Although
necropolis technique ceramic_production early middle bronze age western cyprus early_middle bronze_age cyprus bce still_poorly understood spite cyprus strategic_importance mediterranean revolutionary cultural transformation occur end period west_coast particular remain_relatively blank spot map eastern_mediterranean excavation entirely lack recently absence excavate_site great_deal information_regard western cypriot society period must derive pottery aim nature ceramic_material culture west analysis ceramic cemetery present large_corpus western cypriot funerary pottery period entire excavate assemblage present multidisciplinary ceramic apply traditional typological_study conduct entire assemblage microscopic petrographic analysis apply sample order_identify manufacturing technique_use potter corpus information use test nature validity evidence regional_identity although