Apliki Karamallos on Cyprus: the 13th century BCE miners’ settlement in context
Date
2018ISBN
978-1-57506-964-7Publisher
Emery and Claire Yass Publications in Archaeology and EisenbraunsPlace of publication
Tel Aviv and Winona In.Source
Mining for Ancient Copper. Essays in Memory of Beno Rothenberg, Publisher: Emery and Claire Yass Publications in ArchaeologyPages
345-356Google Scholar check
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Thanks to rich copper ore deposits in the geological formation known as the Pillow Lavas in the Troodos Foothills, Cyprus is one of the richest countries in copper per surface area in the world. Because of this mineral wealth the island played a leading role in the metals trade of the Late Bronze Age. Production and export of copper developed significantly in the Late Cypriot (1600–1050 BCE), reaching a peak in the 13th century BCE. From 1450 BCE onwards, Cypriot copper, in the shape of oxhide ingots, was exported far and wide, and according to Lead Isotope Analysis the copper used to produce the ingots was extracted from the ore deposit of Apliki. The Apliki mine lies within Cyprus’ richest mining district, which in modern times produced more than 80% of the total copper ore concentrate that was exported from the island. In 1938 the Cyprus Mining Corporation began to exploit the Apliki deposit and the remains of a Late Bronze Age miners’ settlement came to light. The purpose of this paper is to present some of this extraordinary material from one of the most infamous, and yet little known, metallurgical sites of 13th century BCE Cyprus