LARNACA, CYPRUS—The Helsinki Times reports that a team of researchers led by Peter Fischer of the University of Gothenburg has discovered tombs in Cyprus, near Hala Sultan Tekke, a Bronze Age site where copper from the nearby mines in the Troodos Mountains was refined and traded. The tombs consist of underground chambers with narrow passages to the surface. Objects recovered from the tombs include gold and ivory imported from Egypt; lapis lazuli, carnelian, and turquoise imported from Afghanistan, India, and Sinai; amber imported from the Baltic; pottery imported from Greece, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt; bronze weapons; and a gold-framed seal made of hematite. A woman buried at site had been surrounded with ceramic vessels, jewelry, and a polished round bronze mirror. A one-year-old child found at her side had been accompanied by a ceramic toy. Men and women in the burials were found wearing diadems bearing images of bulls, gazelles, lions, and flowers. It is not known if these individuals were involved in governing the wealthy city. To read more about the Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean, go to “The Ugarit Archives.”
