Excavations in Hala Sultan Tekke have revealed two ancient chamber tombs containing high-status grave goods.
Hala Sultan Tekke, also known as Dromolaxia-Vyzakia, is a Late Bronze Age settlement locate on the south coast of Cyprus.
Founded around 1650/1630 BC during the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age, Hala Sultan Tekke emerged as a major commercial centre covering an area of around 25 hectares (61.7 acres).
“The city’s wealth was underpinned by its production and export of copper. Evidence of copper-working activities, including slag heaps, ore, furnaces, and crucibles, confirms extensive intraurban metallurgy,” said the Republic of Cyprus.
Excavations were conducted by a team of local and international experts led by Professor Fischer of the University of Gothenburg. The researchers unearthed several heavily eroded structures, including an abandoned well and two chamber tombs dating to approximately the 14th century BC.
The ceilings in both tombs collapsed in ancient times, sealing the archaeological context in a preserved layer that is providing valuable insights into Late Bronze Age funerary customs.
The tomb objects include locally produced pottery, tools, decorations, and personal items, as well as imported goods. These imports reflect the city’s participation in long-distance trade routes that extended across the Aegean, Egypt, the Near East, and beyond.
Among the finds were Mycenaean ceramics from the Greek mainland, Minoan pots from Crete, Egyptian ivory and calcite, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, carnelian from India, and amber from the Baltic.
Pottery from Nuragic Sardinia also supports the link between the circulation of Cypriot copper, particularly oxide ingots, and the presence of pottery from that region.
Stratigraphic evidence suggests the tombs were reused over many generations, with the original burials carefully arranged for subsequent interments.
This custom is a testament to enduring kinship ties and has created a well-developed internal time scale. Preliminary bioarchaeological evidence indicates a demographic span from newborns to approximately 40 years old, consistent with low life expectancy during the period.
“In summary, the discoveries at Hala Sultan Tekke reaffirm the city’s significance as a major Late Bronze Age economic and cultural hub. The rich assemblage of imported goods and sophisticated local artefacts found in the tombs suggests they belonged to elite families engaged in copper export and international trade,” said the Republic of Cyprus.
Sources : Republic of Cyprus
