Hala Sultan Tekke Research Articles

The Occupational History of the Bronze Age Harbour City of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

The Occupational History of the Bronze Age Harbour City of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

The results of ten seasons of excavations at the Late Bronze Age harbor city of Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca on Cyprus are detailed in this article. The excavations were supported by large-scale ...

From the Editor

Next article FreeFrom the EditorStephanie L. BudinStephanie L. Budin Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreHello, Readers!Welcome to the December issue of Near Eastern Archaeology, which comes at the tail end of the New Year’s season. It turns out that New Year’s is, in fact, its own season. It begins in September with Rosh Hashanah (Shanah Tovah, my friends!) and continues in October with the Celtic New Year that begins at sundown on October 31st (Samhain Sona, my friends!). We then finish it all up with the calendrical New Year’s on January first, which rounds out the season. (Obviously, I’m leaving out the July 1st fiscal New Year). I first noticed the seasonal quality of New Year’s when I realized I always started my New Year’s resolutions in October, apparently prioritizing my Jewish and Celtic heritage. At least come January 1 all the groundwork has already been set.This end of the New Year’s season seemed to be a good time to consider changes and developments in NEA over the course of 2019. The most significant was that we changed our peer-review process to a double blind system to keep in line with best current practice throughout the industry. In this way, author identities are unknown to peer reviewers, just as the reviewer’s identities are unknown to the authors. Such practice has been shown to lead to greater parity in publication, both in terms of gender and matters of academic seniority. While it is too soon yet to know how the change will affect NEA in this regard, one clearly noticeable development has been that those invited to review articles but must decline very frequently suggest the (unknown) author of a the article as the best possible alternative suggestion. This has encouraged our assistant editor Julia Hsieh to learn to bang her head against a wall very gently. You would also be amazed how often reviewers now suggest that authors cite their own works in articles…A second change has been to limit the number of Special Topics issues to only one out of every three or (more likely) four issues. While NEA will continue to focus some issues on really interesting topics—of which we have a plethora in the ANE—and will continue to host guest editors for such issues, there was an expressed desire for greater diversity in subject matter (considering that plethora). We look forward to what developments might come…Speaking of that plethora of interesting materials, this issue once again reminds us of the amazing chronological depth of Near Eastern archaeology. Here we go back into the Palaeolithic with Biglari and Shidrang’s article on rescue archaeology in the Kurdish Zagros region. Jumping forward, we see the remarkable mixing of cultures that characterized Bronze Age Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus, thanks to Peter Fischer, while John Gaudet gives a light, interesting, and extremely informative look at the role of papyrus in ancient Egypt and, from there, the world. If you read codices, books, or journals (and I know you do): Thank an ancient papyrus farmer! Turning the bend into the Common Era, we have three articles from the Negev, Egyptian Thebes, and Nubia. The first, by Gil Gambash and colleagues, considers the unexpected role of the Judean desert in the acquisition and trade of the Red Sea parrotfish in Roman times (including a recipe for those still looking for something truly different for Christmas Eve dinner, although please do not use actual parrotfish: They’re endangered!). Speaking of Christmas, we then turn to water-jar holders from Thebes, which display some of the earliest Christian iconography in Byzantine Egypt—thanks to Benjamin Durand. Finally, to the south, we have an excellent article by Solange Ashby on funerary offerings of milk libations in Nubia. As I was originally writing this introduction on Hallowe’en (aka: New Year’s), this reminder of the role of the dead in the lives of the living struck an oddly modern chord.Happy Midwinter Festival of Light to one and all! Light the fires on the Menorah or tree (remembering safety first!), and get through the dark times. And for those readers in the southern hemisphere, remember: Winter is coming. Next article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Near Eastern Archaeology Volume 82, Number 4December 2019 A journal of ASOR Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/707454 © 2019 by American Schools of Oriental Research. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2018: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results, with contributions by J. Tracz and D. Kofel

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 domestic CQ1–3. A bathroom built of ashlar blocks with an advanced hydrological layout was exposed in CQ4 (Stratum 1, LC IIIA) together with a storage area for large vessels. Another rich tomb (Tomb RR) was excavated in Area A. It contained multi-burials together with tomb gifts from numerous Eastern Mediterranean cultures. One of the finds from Tomb RR is a complete large Mycenaean krater depicting two chariots drawn by two pairs of horses and 13 individuals, several of them with swords.

14C-Dating of the Late Bronze Age City of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus: Status Report

ABSTRACTHala Sultan Tekke is a large Bronze Age city located on the southeastern littoral of Cyprus. The city flourished from approximately 1650 BC to 1150 BC according to the archaeological evidence. Since 2010, Swedish excavations have exposed four new city quarters (CQ1–4) with three occupational phases, the 14C dating of which is of highest importance also for other contemporaneous cultures. The finds demonstrate vast intercultural connections in the Mediterranean and even with southern Scandinavia. In 2014, roughly 500 m to the east of CQ1, one of the richest cemeteries on the island was discovered. According to the archaeological evidence, the finds from the city date mainly to the 13th and 12th centuries BC. However, many of the wealthy tombs and the offering pits from the cemetery are considerably older with the oldest finds dating to the 16th century BC. This raises the question where the city quarters belonging to the oldest finds from the cemetery are situated. The radiocarbon (14C) dates from Hala Sultan Tekke have much influence on the dating of related sites because of numerous imports from a vast area. We present here new 14C data obtained in the course of the current excavations, which add to sets of already existing data.

To Dye or Not to Dye: Bioarchaeological Studies of Hala Sultan Tekke Site, Cyprus

Dated to the Late Bronze Age (Late Cypriot II: 1450–1200 BC and Late Cypriot III: 1200–1050 BC), the site of Hala Sultan Tekke brought to light interesting evidence of textile production and possible fabric dyeing. Finds of loom weights and spindle whorls together with remains of dyer’s croton (Chrozophora tinctoria), field gromwell (Buglossoides arvensis syn. Lithospermum arvense), and shells of murex allow opening a discussion over the methods and reasons for undertaking the time and cost-consuming procedure of dye production. The present article, through an examination of finds and an analysis of plant macrofossils and molluscs, tests a hypothesis of textile dyeing at the Late Cypriot city of Dromolaxia Vizatzia.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2017: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results

During the eighth field season at the Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke, excavations in City Quarter 1 (CQ1) exposed massive industrial and domestic structures belonging to three phases of occupation (Strata 3–1) dating to the 13th and 12th centuries BC (LC IIC–IIIA). Georadar survey, penetrating to a maximum depth of approximately 1 m, guided the excavation of walls of Strata 1–2, both of which were destroyed by conflagration. Excavations 1.5–2 m below the surface and also below the maximum penetration depth of the radar revealed a heretofore buried phase of occupation with substantial architectural units. For the first time, massive Stratum 3 structures with a markedly different building technique were exposed. Copper smelting installations, much ash and slag, and storage facilities also belong to this phase of occupation. Additional excavations guided by results from a magnetometer survey were carried out in Area A, roughly 600 m to the south-east of CQ1. Numerous circular anomalies were excavated. These were identified as Late Cypriot wells, rich offering pits, and a tomb from the same period. In addition to numerous intact locally produced vessels and other finds, the tomb contained a complete Late Minoan II/IIIA piriform jar with bird motifs which have exact parallels from Knossos. Other finds from this tomb include a diadem of leaf gold, amethyst jewellery, and nine sphendonoid shaped balance weights of haematite together with a hornblende whetstone. The features from Area A cover a period from the 16th to the 13th centuries BC (LC IB–IIC).

“Sea Peoples” Up-to-Date: New Research on Transformations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 13th–11th Centuries BCE

“Sea Peoples” Up-to-Date: New Research on Transformations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 13th–11th Centuries BCE

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results

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 oversized image of a female robed in a splendidly adorned Minoan-style dress. The remaining anomaly probably represents a tomb of a very wealthy family so far containing, inter alia, 80 locally produced and imported vessels, gold jewellery, weapons, scarabs, and seals. The material in the offering pit and the tomb reflects far-reaching intercultural connections in the period from the 16th to the 13th centuries BC.

Tombs and Offering Pits at the Late Bronze Age Metropolis of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

Hala Sultan Tekke is a large Bronze Age city close to the famous homonymous mosque near the international airport of Larnaca on the south coast of Cyprus. Previous research demonstrated that the ci...

Ritual Depositions versus Garbage Pits: A Re-evaluation of Pottery Deposits and Offering Pits at the Late Bronze Age City of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

This paper examines the material from a number of pits and wells from suburban areas of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus. The aim is to identify pits and wells which contain intentionally deposited material other than rubbish. The Late Bronze Age metropolis of Hala Sultan Tekke offers an excellent opportunity for this study, as a considerable number of pits and wells spanning the complete Late Cypriot Bronze Age were excavated and well-documented over the course of almost five decades of archaeological research. As we have very little evidence of ritual practice – distinct cultic structures are as yet unknown at Hala Sultan Tekke – the re-evaluation of selected pottery deposits will offer a key towards a better understanding of possible ritual activities. In addition, Hala Sultan Tekke is – so far – the only Late Cypriot site, where we can see a clear connection between offering pits containing mainly pottery deposits and tombs, as these structures are found in close proximity to each other. This situation supports the view that the material from the offering pits reflects specific rituals for the deceased. Finally, the evidence of ritual feasting at other Late Cypriot sites, such as Kouklia Evreti, Kalavasos Ayios Dhimitrios and Enkomi, will briefly be discussed in order to present a more comprehensive picture.

Geochemical survey of soil samples from the archaeological site Dromolaxia-Vyzakia (Cyprus), by means of micro-XRF and statistical approaches

During the 13th and 12th centuries BCE, Dromolaxia - Vyzakia (Hala Sultan Tekke) was a flourishing coastal settlement located at the shores of the Larnaca salt lake and for this reason the site has attracted a great deal of scholarly interest. Evidence of ceramic, ivory and metal manufacturing processes supports the belief that this site was not only a location active in trade, but also an important crafts centre. Despite the fact that a significant number of archaeological missions invested considerable time and expertise to study the site, its spatial extent and makeup is still not fully understood. Significant efforts are currently underway to reveal the extent of the whole settlement and to pinpoint possible anthropogenic activities. The detection of intriguing magnetic anomalies during a preliminary geophysical survey over an unexcavated area adjacent to the main excavation, and the presence of nearby surface scattered slag fragments, suggested further investigation. These locations were ideal for an extensive geochemical survey through micro-XRF measurements. Therefore, an extensive geochemical survey, the objective of this study, was carried out to measure concentrations of elements (K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) using a micro-XRF. Soil samples were collected at an excavated area of known anthropogenic activity as well as from other unexcavated areas including the one assessed by the geophysical survey. Results were analyzed with the method of principal components analysis (PCA) and Pearson's correlation coefficients focusing on the identification of possible patterns amongst sampling areas. The site's normal background concentration values (NBC) were also determined in order to evaluate elemental enhancement by enrichment factors. The statistical analysis of results indicated the impact of metalworking or other related processes in the soil's chemistry. In addition, it identified elements that can be attributed to anthropogenic activities (K, Ca, Ni, Cu, and Zn) and also corroborated with the geophysical data highlighting specific zones where future archaeological efforts should focus.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2015. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results

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 mainly date from the 13th and 12th centuries BC (Late Cypriot IIC–IIIA). One of the excavated anomalies is interpreted as an offering pit. The preliminary date according to the pottery is roughly the 15th century BC (Late Cypriot IB).

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2014. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results

The initial aim of the project—the search for the oldest city of Hala Sultan Tekke—continued in 2014. Geophysical methods were used, which led to the discovery of new city quarters, and a broadening of the research objectives, to include revealing the total extent of the city. The GPR survey indicated a huge stone compound of at least 50 m × 40 m to the west of a probable street. Excavations continued in Area 6 West, where in 2013 a domestic and industrial compound was excavated as part of a hitherto unknown city quarter. The 2014 field work exposed stone-built structures and rich find contexts with locally made and imported pottery, numerous tools and several items of gold and silver jewellery. The violent destruction of the most recent layer of occupation, Stratum 1, which had been observed during previous seasons, was once again confirmed. Another georadar and magnetic survey west of the mosque of Hala Sultan Tekke indicated numerous circular anomalies. Five of these were excavated and turned out to be four wells and an offering pit. One of the wells was reused for human burials. Another well contained the skeleton of an equid, a complete bull figurine and a cylinder seal of haematite.

Paleo-environmental evolution of the Larnaca Salt Lakes (Cyprus) and the relationship to second millennium BC settlement

New coring data provides a complete 14C dated sequence covering the paleo-environmental evolution of the Larnaca Salt Lakes from c. 9000BP onwards. This suggests the formation of a relatively confined lagoon after 4000cal. BP. On the western shore of the main Aliki basin, overseas imports from the Late Bronze Age site of Dromolaxia-Vyzakia (Hala Sultan Tekke) reflect use of the Salt Lakes as a harbour during the second millennium BC. Coring and geomorphological mapping were employed to determine routes of navigation between this port and the open sea, with two main natural channels identified. A third potential communication in the form of an artificial cut, previously dated by Gifford (1978) to the Venetian period, is discussed with reference to changes in relative sea level along the island's south-east coast. Abandonment of settlement at Dromolaxia-Vyzakia in the early 12th century BC relates to the gradual isolation of the Salt Lakes lagoon from the surrounding marine environment through sedimentation. The timing of this event correlates with other known instances of population displacement throughout the eastern Mediterranean c. 1200BC.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2013. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results

The results from a 1.3-hectare GPR survey in 2012 were confirmed during the 2013 excavation of a limited area (200 m2). Three phases of occupation were partly exposed. The most recent phase, Stratum 1, contained living and working facilities, e.g. for spinning, weaving and purple dyeing. Textile production also took place in the older Stratum 2, where the major activity was metal-working: 300 kg of remains from copperworking consist of tapped slag, furnace walls, fragments of at least five tuyères, crucible fragments, copper/bronze fragments and pieces of raw copper. Another of these unique kraters of White Painted Wheel-made Pictorial Style (WPPS) was found. It was termed “Horned God Krater” on account of one of the decorative elements. These kraters may indicate that there was a “Hala Sultan Tekke painter”. The oldest phase of occupation so far, “Stratum 3”, which is a reused and looted tomb, produced two cylinder seals and numerous finds which are related to textile production. The findings from test trenches west of the main area suggest a street which separated two city quarters: one to the east (our main area) and one to the west. Test excavations in the western city quarter produced two anthropomorphic figurines and a horse figurine.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2012. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results

The third season of excavation at Hala Sultan Tekke added knowledge to the project, the main objective of which is the investigation and determination of the complete occupational sequence of the pre-12th century BC levels. New walled and open spaces from Strata 1 and 2 were exposed in Area 6. Another pictorial krater with birds was excavated. The terminology for the much discussed Cypriote-produced White Painted Wheel-made ware has been revised and a new terminology is suggested, i.e. “White Painted Wheel-made Geometric Style (WPGS)” and “White Painted Wheel-made Pictorial Style (WPPS)”, of which the latter includes the Creature Krater from 2010 and the Bird Krater from this season. The hypothesis that a tsunami destroyed parts of the city in the 14th or 13th century BC is discussed. An additional radar survey of some 1.3 hectares revealed substantial structures, i.e. new city quarters, west of Area 6.

Using Lead Isotopes to Determine Pottery Provenance in Cyprus: Clay Source Signatures and Comparison with Late Bronze Age Cypriote Pottery

This paper presents the lead isotopic composition of potential clay sources for pottery production, collected in the four major geological zones of Cyprus (Troodos Ophiolite, Circum Troodos Sedimentary Succession, Mamonia Terrane, Kyrenia Terrane) and evaluates its usefulness in Cypriote pottery provenance studies. The clay isotopic signatures from the four zones are compared to each other and to the isotopic composition of various utilitarian pottery wares from three Late Bronze Age sites, respectively located in southern Cyprus (Alassa‐Pano Mandilaris), east Cyprus (Enkomi), and southeast Cyprus (Hala Sultan Tekke). It also explores the potential of this method to better discriminate between potential raw materials used for the production of Base‐ring ware, one of the most characteristic fine pottery of Late Bronze Age Cyprus, which was widely spread in the Eastern Mediterranean (Courtois, 1981; Vaughan, 1991, 1994). Results show that three main lead isotopic fields can be distinguished among the Cypriote clay sources and the comparison of Plain sherds with the clay sources allows discrimination between local products and imports. They also clearly indicate that all the Base‐ring sherds analyzed in this study were made of the clays from the Kathikas Formation that crops out in only limited parts of southwest Cyprus.

Coupling lead isotope analysis and petrography to characterize fabrics of storage and trade containers from Hala Sultan Tekke (Cyprus)*

Lead isotopes, thin‐ and sherd‐section analyses are coupled on pottery‐vessel fragments excavated from the Late Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke (south‐east Cyprus) and representing fabrics used for the production of storage and trade containers. The fabrics of the sherds are first described according to general macroscopic observations. Based on the different fabrics identified, a petrographic analysis is carried out on thin sections and compared to lead isotope results on the same samples. This study shows that a specific fabric corresponds to a specific lead isotopic composition and proposes different sources for the various groups of associated sherds/fabrics. It also demonstrates the compatibility and complementarity of petrography and lead isotopes within pottery provenance study.

Lead isotopic analysis within a multiproxy approach to trace pottery sources. The example of White Slip II sherds from Late Bronze Age sites in Cyprus and Syria

Lead isotope analyses were carried out on fragments of White Slip II ware, a Late Bronze Age Cypriote pottery ware, and on raw materials possibly used for their production. Sherds originate from three Late Bronze Age sites (Hala Sultan Tekke and Sanidha in Cyprus and Minet el-Beida in Syria) and clays come from the surroundings of Sanidha, a production site for White Slip ware. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) are combined with Pb isotope analyses to further investigate the effectiveness of the latter method within a multiproxy approach for pottery provenance study. The pottery sherds from the three sites are compared between themselves and with potential raw material. Additional X-ray diffraction (XRD) and analyses using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray detection (EDX) facility were performed on selected sherds and clays. This work confirms that the clay source used for pottery production in Sanidha derives from local weathered gabbro. It also shows that different origins can be proposed for White Slip II ware sherds from Hala Sultan Tekke and Minet el-Beida and that clays were prepared prior to White Slip II ware production. It finally confirms the effectiveness of Pb isotopes in tracing pottery provenance not only by comparing sherd assemblages but also by comparing sherds to potential raw materials.