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The Söderberg Expedition: The Bronze Age City of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

Research project
Active research
Website
Swedish Archaeology in Jordan, Palestine and Cyprus
Project size
1.191.000
Project period
2019 - 2022
Project owner
Institutionen för historiska studier
Research partners
Österrikiska Vetenskapsakademien, OREA Universität, Wien, Isotopenphysik Universitet Haifa Tekniska Universitet, Atominstitut, Wien
Financier
Torsten Söderbergs stiftelse
Area
Culture and languages Society and economy
Topic
Archaeology History and Archaeology

Short description

In the years 2010 to 2019, the Söderberg Expedition carried out excavations at the harbour city of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus (near modern Larnaca). The city has a likely size of 25–50 hectares which makes it one of the largest Bronze Age cities of the Mediterranean. It flourished 1650–1150 BC. Trade with Egypt, the Levant, Anatolia, Greece / Crete and Sardinia was the backbone of the city's economy which was based on locally produced copper and purple-dyed textiles. Geophysical surveys of 23 hectares led to the discovery of the hitherto largest interconnected city quarter (CQ4): a rectangular street system leading to the nearby port connects massive buildings of stone of an obviously administrative compound.

The Söderberg Expedition: The Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke

Area of excavations

Ten seasons of excavations at the Bronze Age harbour city of Hala Sultan Tekke have been carried out under the supervision of Professor P.M. Fischer from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The city which flourished from 1650–1150 BCE is between 25 and 50 hectares large which makes it one of the largest in the Mediterranean. Based on geophysical surveys with magnetometers and georadar excavations concentrated on four city quarters (CQ1–4) and the extraurban cemetery (Area A, Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. CQ1–4, Area A.

Results

CQ1 is an industrial city quarter with domestic architecture and workshops for the production of copper (Figs. 2, 3) and purple-dyed textiles.

Fig. 2. CQ1, drone photograph.
Fig. 3. Approx. 1 ton of copper slag from CQ1.
Fig. 4. Dagger pommel of ivory from CQ1 (c. 1200 BCE).

In CQ2, too, copper was produced but the manufacture of purple-dyed textiles dominates (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Murex shells for the production of purple dye.

CQ3 is only partly excavated. There are many imported finds mainly form the Mycenaean sphere of culture and Egypt.

Fig. 6. CQ3 to the left (west), CQ2 centre, CQ1 to the right; drone photograph from 2015.

CQ4 seems to be an administrative quarter with massive structures of stone according to the results from our geophysical surveys (Figs. 7–11).

Fig. 7. Magnetic prospecting with 10 magnetometers.  
Fig. 8. Magnetometer map, CQ4.

In CQ4 a bathroom built of ashlar blocks with an advanced hydrotechnical installation was found. 

Fig. 9. Drone photo of CQ4.

                                  

Fig. 10. Bathroom in CQ4.
Fig. 11.1 Cylinder seal of faience from the bathroom, c. 1200 BCE.
Fig. 11.2 Cylinder seal of faience from the bathroom, c. 1200 BCE.

Area A

The extraurban cemetery (Area A) is east of the city (Fig. 1). It is one of the richest on the island with numerous tombs and offering pits. Imported tomb gifts and offered items came from a vast area: from Sardinia to Mesopotamia, and from Anatolia to Egypt. Tomb RR, for instance contain the burials of 38 individuals (state 2019, not completely excavated) and rich tomb gifts.

Fig. 12. Tomb RR during excavation; female (25–30 years) surrounded by numerous tomb gifts (c. 1350 BCE).

 

Fig. 13. Tomb RR; Mycenaean chariot krater (”Swordbearer krater”); c. 1350 BCE.
Fig. 14 Tomb RR, Mycenaean imports; c. 1350 BCE.   

          

Fig. 15. Tomb RR, Egyptian ivory button
Fig. 16. Tomb RR, bronze knife with ivory handle

 

Fig. 17. Tomb X, earrings.
Fig. 18. Tomb LL, weights of haematite and grinding stone for calibrating the weights, gold diadem (c. 1450 BCE).
Fig. 19. Nuragic (Sardinian) import from Offering Pit B.

 

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