Abstract:
This study considers the detailed archaeological and documentary records of Cyprus and Ugarit (Syria) to gain new insights into the long-term relations between two of the best known, well-connected polities in the Late Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean.
I engage with concepts such as maritime space and spheres of interaction, merchants and mercantilism, actors and agents. Some background on both Ugarit and Cyprus is presented, followed by examination of the common material features of both (e.g., ashlar masonry, urban mortuary practices, composite anchors, the Cypro-Minoan script). The study then zeroes in more specifically to present the Cypriot material uncovered in Ugarit (especially seals, metals and pottery), followed by some of the Levantine materials found on Cyprus.
All known documentary evidence related to these two polities is presented and discussed with respect to three factors: people, politics and professions. The discussion section that follows takes a broader look at material and mercantile connectivity in the Late Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean, considering in turn the merchants of Ugarit and Cyprus, maritime spheres of interaction, and the actors and agents involved in these mercantile worlds. Although Ugarit and Cyprus were two very different kinds of society, they shared a vital, commercial link, one that — over time — had a transformative impact on Cyprus.
Contents
Introduction
Background
Ugarit
Cyprus
Ugarit and Cyprus: Common Material Features
Ashlar Masonry
Urban Mortuary Practices
Composite Anchors
Cypro-Minoan Script
Cypriot Material in Ugarit
Seals
Metals
Pottery
Levantine Material in Cyprus
Levantine Pottery on Cyprus
Other Levantine Material on Cyprus
Cyprus and Ugarit: Documentary Evidence
People, Politics and Professions
People
Politics
Professions
Discussion: Material and Mercantile Connectivity in the Late Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean
The Merchants of Ugarit and Cyprus
Maritime sphere(s) of interaction
Mercantile Worlds: Actors and Agents
Conclusions
Professor
A. Bernard Knapp
A. Bernard Knapp is Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean Archaeology in the Department of Humanities (Archaeology), University of Glasgow, and Honorary Research Fellow, Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, Nicosia. His research interests focus on the prehistoric Mediterranean, especially Cyprus, on maritime archaeology, and on various aspects of archaeological theory, including mobility and connectivity, and social identity.
He is the author and editor of several books including, most recently, Seafaring and Seafarers in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean (Leiden, Sidestone Press, 2018), Migration Myths and the End of the Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean (New York, Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Late Bronze Age Cyprus: A Reassessment of Settlement Structure and Society (Nicosia: Astrom Editions, 2023).
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