Mineral resource exploitation in the Early Cypriot Neolithic: The provenance and use of ochres at Ayia Varvara-Asprokremnos

Abstract

At present, very little is known about the earliest phases of the Cypriot Neolithic: only two PPNA sites, Ayios Tychonas-Klimonas and Ayia Varvara-Asprokremnos, have been excavated thus far. Despite being contemporary in age, these two sites demonstrate very different patterns of occupation and use, with Klimonas likely serving as a permanent settlement and Asprokremnos as a temporary, perhaps seasonal, campsite. The artefact assemblage from Ayia Varvara-Asprokremnos suggests that it served primarily as a production site for lithics, with few structures identified but several thousand kilograms of stone tools and debitage recovered. In addition, a large amount of ochre was found at the site, often in association with ground stone tools in the “workshop” structures. In this study, the potential uses of this material- as pigment; in ritual practice; and in the process of tanning leather- are discussed. A provenance study is also performed through the use of p-XRF analysis in an attempt to associate the ochre from Ayia Varvara-Asprokremnos with specific geological formations in the surrounding landscape. While no exact source is identified, it is likely that the Asprokremnos ochre was collected to the west of the settlement, probably from outcrops along the banks of the Gialias River. Future research in this area would be welcome, particularly in regards to more precise geochemical analytical methods, comparisons with ochre from other PPNA sites such as Klimonas, and a more detailed study of both the lithic and faunal assemblages of Asprokremnos in order to better reconstruct past human activity.