The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2021 and 2022
Content / 2023-11-06

Opuscula 16 is published by the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome. Distributed by Eddy.se AB. View volume at ERIH PLUS. All content available with open access. The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition (The Söderberg Expedition): Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke autumn 2021 and spring 2022. Preliminary results By Peter M. Fischer & Teresa Bürge with contributions by Rainer Feldbacher, Kirsi O. Lorentz, Bianca Casa, Natalie M. Branca, Yuko Miyauchi, Sila Kayalp, Maria Nectaria Antoniou, Svetlana Gasanova, Valentina Vassallo, Rahaf Orabi, Panagiotis Ioannou & Sorin Hermon Abstract In 2021 and 2022, the 13th and 14th seasons of excavations at the Late Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke were carried out in Area A, and as a result of these investigations numerous tombs were found. These tombs were threatened by farming. Four magnetic anomalies, indicated in the 2017 survey magnetometer map, were investigated. They represent three tombs, L198, TT, and UU, and the probable Offering Pit SS-S. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) in Pit Tomb L198, which contains only secondary burials, is six. They are associated with 21 ceramic vessels of which a few were imported from Anatolia. Chamber Tomb TT was completely excavated and contained a minimum of 25 individuals and 78 objects. Among these are 47…

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2020 and 2021
Content / 2022-09-12

Opuscula 15 is published by the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome. Distributed by Eddy.se AB. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition (The Söderberg Expedition): Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke 2020 and 2021. Preliminary results By Peter M. Fischer & Teresa Bürge, with contributions by B. Placiente Robedizo, C. Eriksson, K.O. Lorentz, N.M. Branca, B. Casa, Y. Miyauchi, S.A.M. Lemmers, S. Kayalp, V. Vassallo, S. Florindi, S. Gasanova, S. Hermon, L. Avial Chicharro, E. Peri & B. Clark Abstract In 2020 and 2021, the eleventh and twelfth seasons of excavations at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke were carried out in the cemetery of Area A. Based on indications provided by a large-scale magnetometer survey, two tombs exposed by intensive farming were located, Tombs RR and SS. The excavation of Tomb RR, which had started in 2018, was concluded. The total minimum number (MNI) of skeletons in this tomb, of which most were incomplete and disarticulated, is estimated at 137. In addition to clay figurines, seals and scarabs, objects of ivory, as well as jewellery of gold, silver, bronze, faience and carnelian, the inhumations are associated with more than 100 intact or complete ceramic…

The death of infants in Early Iron Age Cyprus

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The death of infants in Early Iron Age Cyprus. A jar burial from Kition-Bamboula By Sabine Fourrier (Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée Jean Pouilloux, France) & Anna Georgiadou (University of Cyprus, Cyprus), in collaboration with Bérénice Chamel (Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée Jean Pouilloux, France), Nathalia Denninger (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, France), Armelle Gardeisen (Université Paul Valéry, France), Katerina Papayanni (National and Kapodistrian University, Greece) & Tatiana Theodoropoulou (Cultures et Environnements Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge, France) Abstract During recent excavations of the French Archaeological Mission at Kition-Bamboula, in modern day Larnaka, Cyprus, an infant jar burial was discovered. It was found under a floor layer in a domestic context, and is dated to the beginning of the Late Cypriot IIIB period (end of the 12th– early 11th century BC). This jar burial is part of a series which seems to be attested, at least in the present state of documentation, only in eastern Cyprus (Enkomi, Salamis and, on a lesser scale, Kition) during a period that spans the Late Bronze and…

Palaepaphos-Teratsoudhia Tomb 288

Opuscula 14 is published with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. Palaepaphos-Teratsoudhia Tomb 288 (c. 1650 BC–c. 1200 BC) By Vassos Karageorghis (University of Cyprus) & Efstathios Raptou (Department of Antiquities, Cyprus), with appendices by Alexander Donald, Gisèle Clerc & Anna Spyrou Abstract This paper presents a new tomb complex of the Late Bronze Age at Palaepaphos-Teratsoudhia in south-west Cyprus. Although looted, Tomb 288 yielded a representative repertoire of funerary gifts, including seals and scarabs, ranging chronologically from the very beginning of the Late Bronze Age to Late Cypriote IIC, roughly from 1650 to 1200 BC. Tomb 288 has characteristics which are typical of Late Bronze Age tomb architecture in Cyprus and well known in the Paphos region, as well as aspects which have not previously been observed in any necropolis of the period, such as the large central “pillars” which support the roof in Chambers A and B. The tomb’s finds comprise representative examples of the ceramic production of Palaepaphos for a period of some 400 years and illustrate the wealth of this region during the whole of the Late Bronze Age. The tomb is…

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2019

All content of Opuscula 13 is available with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2019: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results, with contributions by L. Recht, B. Placiente Robedizo, C. Eriksson, L. Andersson, M. Svensson, L. Avial Chicharro, S. Hermon, M. Polig & D. Kofel By Peter M. Fischer (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) & Teresa Bürge (Austrian Academy of Sciences) Abstract The tenth season of excavations at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke was carried out in four areas: City Quarter 1 (CQ1), CQ4, City Wall 1 (CW1), and Area A (Tomb RR). The excavations in CQ1 provided additional information on the pre-LC IIIA occupation of the city. Stratum 3 which can be dated to the LC IIC (13th century BC) was further exposed. For the first time in the city even older phases, Strata 4 and 5, were found. These are tentatively dated to the LC I–II (15th to 14th century BC). In CQ4 numerous storage areas were exposed, which belong to a large compound. There is also evidence of production of textiles…

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2018

All content of Opuscula 12 (2019) is available with open access. Printed edition distributed by Eddy.se AB. Also available at Amazon.com, Adlibris, and Bokus. View volume at ERIH PLUS. The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2018: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results, with contributions by J. Tracz and D. Kofel By Peter M. Fischer (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) & Teresa Bürge (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria) Abstract During the ninth field season at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke, excavations in City Quarter 1 (CQ1) continued and brought to light industrial and domestic structures belonging to three phases of occupation (Strata 3–1) dating to the 13th and 12th centuries BC (LC IIC–IIIA). Finds of more than half a ton of copper slag together with remains of furnaces and tuyères indicate intensive urban copper production. There is also evidence of textile production in CQ1. A magnetometer survey of roughly 23 ha resulted in the discovery of another large city quarter (CQ4) between CQ1 and Area A (the cemetery) with regularly arranged stone-built compounds of imposing dimensions intersected by streets. Several massive walls are faced with ashlar slabs which distinguishes this quarter from the industrial and…

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2016

Opuscula 10 (2017) is now available for purchase at Amazon.com, Bokus.com, Adlibris.com, and Bokorder.se. The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results By Peter M. Fischer & Teresa Bürge. With contributions by Laerke Recht, Dominika Kofel, David Kaniewski, Nick Marriner & Christophe Morhange Abstract In the seventh season at the Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke excavations continued in City Quarter 1 (CQ1) where georadar indicated stone structures to the south of the area excavated in 2010–2012. Massive domestic structures, which belong to three phases of occupation (Strata 1–3), were exposed. Both the most recent Stratum 1, and Stratum 2 were destroyed in a conflagration. The three phases are preliminarily dated to the 13th and 12th centuries BC. Excavations were also carried out in Area A, roughly 600 m to the south-east of CQ1. Seven circular anomalies indicated by our geomagnetic survey were excavated. Two were pits of modern date, and three were identified as Late Cypriot wells. Another anomaly turned out to represent a rich Late Cypriot offering pit with figurines and more than 60 ceramic vessels. Amongst the Mycenaean vessels are several “chariot kraters” and a large vessel with the…

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2015

Opuscula 9 (2016) is now available for purchase and free download at bokorder.se. Also available at Amazon.com, Amazon.de, Bokus.com and Adlibris.com. The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2015. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results By Peter M. Fischer & Teresa Bürge. With a contribution by Dominika Kofel Abstract In 2015 the sixth season of the renewed excavations at the Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke continued in the compound which was ex­posed in Area 6W in 2013–2014. Further evidence of textile process­ing was found. The results of another ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey in 2014 indicated a new city quarter west of the former. Exca­vations were initiated there in 2015 and parts of the remains of a large compound were exposed. Two occupational phases, Strata 1 and 2, could be determined, both of which were destroyed in a conflagration. Further excavations were carried out in Area A, 550 m to the east of Area 6W and close to the mosque of Hala Sultan Tekke. In 2014 more than 80 circular anomalies were indicated by our geomagnetic survey supported by GPR. Twelve of them were excavated in 2015. Most of them turned out to be backfilled wells of which the fills…

ActaAth-4°, 50: Swedish excavations at Sinda, Cyprus (2003)
ActaAth-4° / 2003-01-01

Published by the Swedish Institute at Athens. Distributed by Astrom Editions. Swedish excavations at Sinda, Cyprus. Excavations conducted by Arne Furumark 1947–1948 Arne Furumark & Charles M. Adelman, with contributions by Paul Åström, Nils-Gustaf Gejwall & Hans Henning von der Osten When Arne Furumark was entrusted with writing the Late Bronze Age summary volume for the Swedish Cyprus Expedition, he realized that a habitation site was needed in order to clarify problems associated with the last phases of that period. As neither the French nor the Cypriot excavations at Enkomi had yet been published he decided to find his own site: he scouted several, but settled on Sinda because recent illicit digging there had thrown up sherds of a sort never before seen on the island, namely Mycenaean IIIC1b. He conducted two short excavation seasons but the control excavation he planned was aborted when he received notice from Cypriote authorities that there was large scale destruction of the site. Although there is evidence of earlier and later habitation at Sinda, the most important is the Late Bronze Age fortified town (probably built along the copper trading route), with its three phases: Sinda I, II and III. Sinda I, which saw…