The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2018: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition)
Preliminary results
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-12-10Keywords:
Late Bronze Age, Cyprus, Hala Sultan Tekke, settlement, tomb, excavation, geophysical prospectingAbstract
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.
Downloads
References
Bailey, D.M. 1976. ‘The British Museum excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke in 1897 and 1898. The material in the British Museum’, in Hala Sultan Tekke 1. Excavations 1897–1971 (SIMA, 45:1), eds. P. Åström, D.M. Bailey & V. Karageorghis, Göteborg, 1–32.
Bürge, T. 2018. ‘The cylinder seals’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 417–420.
Bürge, T. & P.M. Fischer 2018. ‘The pottery’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 187–416.
Collon, D. 1987. First impressions. Cylinder seals in the Ancient Near East, London.
Dabney, M. 1993. ‘Cylinder seals’, in The Late Bronze Age Egyptian garrison at Beth Shan: A study of Levels VII and VIII. Vol. 1, eds. F.W. James & P.E. McGovern, Pennsylvania, 227–231.
Devillers, B., M. Brown & C. Morhange 2015. ‘Paleo-environmental evolution of the Larnaca Salt Lakes (Cyprus) and the relationship to second millennium BC settlement’, JAS Reports 1, 73–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2014.11.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2014.11.004
Eisen, G.A. 1940. Ancient Oriental cylinder and other seals with a description of the collection of Mrs. William H. Moore (OIP, 42), Chicago.
Fischer, P.M. 1980. Applications of technical devices in archaeology. The use of X-rays, microscope, electrical and electro-magnetic devices and subsurface interface radar (SIMA, 63), Göteborg.
Fischer, P.M. 2011. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2010: Excavations at Dromolaxia Vizatzia/Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 4, 69–98. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-04-04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-04-04
Fischer, P.M. 2012. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2011: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 5, 89–112. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-05-04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-05-04
Fischer, P.M. 2018. ‘Notes on metal production in CQ1 and CQ2’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 489–492.
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2013. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2012: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 6, 45–79. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-06-04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-06-04
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2014. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2013: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 7, 61–106. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-07-04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-07-04
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2015. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2014: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 8, 27–79. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-08-03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-08-03
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2016. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2015: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 9, 33–58. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-09-03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-09-03
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge, eds. 2017a. “Sea peoples” up-to-date. New research on transformations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 13th–11th centuries BCE. Proceedings of the ESF-Workshop held at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, 3–4 November 2014 (Contributions to the Chronology of the Eastern Mediterranean, 35), Vienna. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1v2xvsn DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1v2xvsn
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2017b. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2016: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results’, OpAthRom 10, 50–93. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-10-03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-10-03
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2017c. ‘Tombs and offering pits at the Late Bronze Age metropolis of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus’, BASOR 377, 161–218. https://doi.org/10.5615/bullamerschoorie.377.0161 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5615/bullamerschoorie.377.0161
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2018a. Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), Uppsala.
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2018b. ‘Stratigraphy, architecture and finds’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 17–186.
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2018c. ‘Discussion and conclusions’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 603–617.
Fischer, P.M. & T. Bürge 2018d. ‘The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2017: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition)’, OpAthRom 11, 29–79. https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-11-03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-11-03
Flint-Hamilton, K.B. 1999. ‘Legumes in ancient Greece and Rome. Food, medicine or poison?’, Hesperia 63:3, 371–385. https://doi.org/10.2307/148493 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/148493
Höflmayer, F., A.A. Burke, B.N. Damiata, J. Southon, E.M. Wild, P. Steier & P.M. Fischer 2018. ‘Radiocarbon’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 595–602.
HST 1–12 = P. Åström et al., Hala Sultan Tekke 1–12 (SIMA, 45:1–12), Göteborg & Sävedalen 1976–2007.
Hult, G. 1977. ‘Area 8. Architecture’, in Hala Sultan Tekke 3. Excavations 1972 (SIMA, 45:3), eds. P. Åström, G. Hult & M. Strandberg Olofsson, Göteborg, 72–91.
Hult, G. 1978. ‘Area 8. The 1974 campaign’, in Hala Sultan Tekke 4. Excavations in Area 8 1974–75. The 1977 underwater report (SIMA, 45:4), eds. G. Hult & D. McCaslin, Göteborg, 1–15.
Kofel, D. 2018. ‘Analysis of plant macroremains and charcoal’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 567–579.
Mallowan, M.E.L. 1947. ‘Excavations at Brak and Chagar Bazar’, Iraq 9, 1–87, 89–259, i–iv. https://doi.org/10.2307/4199532 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/4199532
Mazar, A. 2009. ‘Introduction and overview’, in Excavations at Tel Beth-Shean 3 (1989–1996): The 13th–11th century BCE strata in Areas N and S, eds. N. Panitz-Cohen & A. Mazar, Jerusalem, 1–23.
Mussel, M.-L. 1983. The cylinder seals of Late Bronze Age Palestine as indicators of Hurrian influence, M.A. thesis, Wilfrid Laurier University. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1598
Myres, J.L. 1897. ‘Excavations in Cyprus in 1894’, JHS 17, 134–173. https://doi.org/10.2307/623823 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/623823
Myres, J.L. 1914. Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus, New York.
Oates, D., J. Oates & H. McDonald 1997. Excavations at Tell Brak 1: The Mitanni and Old Babylonian periods, Cambridge.
Ornan T. & L.A. Peri 2017. ‘Cylinder seals’, in Hazor 7. The 1990–2012 excavations. The Bronze Age, ed. T. Kuper-Blau, Jerusalem, 475–507.
Parker, B. 1949. ‘Cylinder seals from Palestine’, Iraq 11:1, 1–43. https://doi.org/10.2307/4241686 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/4241686
Porada, E. 1944. Seal impressions of Nuzi (AASOR, 24). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3768489
Reese, D. & O. Lernau 2018. ‘Faunal evidence: catalogues, worked bones, ivory, horn, shells and fish’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 493–566.
Schaeffer, C.F.-A. 1961. ‘Résumé des résultats de la XXIIIe campagne de fouilles à Ras Shamra-Ugarit (automne 1960)’, Les Annales Archéologiques Syriennes 11, 187–196.
Teisser, B. 1985. Ancient Near Eastern cylinder seals from the Marcopoli Collection, Berkeley.
Trinks, I., K. Löcker & P.M. Fischer 2018. ‘Archaeological prospection surveys’, in Two Late Cypriot city quarters at Hala Sultan Tekke: The Söderberg Expedition 2010–2017 (SIMA, 147), eds. P.M. Fischer & T. Bürge, Uppsala, 581–594.
Zohary, D., M. Hopf & E. Weiss 2013. Domestication of plants in the Old World, Oxford. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199549061.001.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199549061.001.0001
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2019 Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome, and the authors.Volumes 16–18 (2023–2025): All text is published with immediate open access under the Creative Commons license CC BY 4.0. All images are used with permission from the rights holders, credited in the captions, and explicitly excluded from the CC BY license.
Copyright: Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome, and the authors.
Volumes 1–15 (2008–2022): These issues were made openly available as PDFs six months after the printed edition was published. No Creative Commons license applies to these volumes.
Copyright: Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome, and the authors.
