Project: Commercial contacts between the central Levant and Cyprus in the Iron Age. The case of Tyre

Commercial contacts between the central Levant and Cyprus in the Iron Age. The case of Tyre

Keywords: Tyre, Cyprus, Iron Age, Commercial contacts, Pottery

The Iron Age cemetery of al-Bass is one of the most relevant sites for Phoenician archaeology in the Mediterranean. Used for almost 500 years, from the end of 10th to mid-6th centuries BCE, it offers insights into ritual and socio-economic aspects of life in the central Levant. Especially relevant is the presence of imports from Cyprus. The ceramic array recovered from the tombs represents one of the most numerous and most representative assemblages of Iron Age Cypriot imports in the Levant. It comprehends mostly big containers used as cinerary urns, with other, less frequent, forms like bowls and jugs.

Preliminary studies have evidenced the involvement of more than one production center, whose relevance changed throughout the sequence. However, it becomes necessary to go deeper into the characterization of those imports and their socio-economic repercussions.

The project involves consultations with Dr. Anna Giorgiadou, a member of the Archaeological Research Unit (ARU) of the University of Cyprus and a leading scholar in the study of Cypriot Iron Age pottery production. She has played a relevant role in the analysis and technological, chemical, and petrographic definition of all the diverse ceramic regions of the Island, which led to the creation of a complete catalog of those wares. The consultations will focus on examination of the ceramic assemblage currently stored in the facilities of the Lebanese General Directorate of Antiquities in Tyre.

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