A. Bernard Knapp
Paperback ISBN: 9789464263046 |
Hardback ISBN: 9789464263053 |
Imprint: Sidestone Press
| Format: 182x257mm
| 118 pp.
| Language: English
| 6 illus. (bw)
| 5 illus. (fc)
| Keywords: Cyprus; Ugarit; the Levant; Late Bronze Age; maritime interactions; connectivity; merchants; mercantilism
| download cover
| DOI: 10.59641/g5j1d2e3f4
| CC-license: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
This study considers the detailed archaeological and documentary
records of Cyprus and Ugarit (Syria) to gain new insights into the
long-term relations between two of the best known, well-connected
polities in the Late Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean.
I engage with concepts such as maritime space and spheres of
interaction, merchants and mercantilism, actors and agents. Some
background on both Ugarit and Cyprus is presented, followed by
examination of the common material features of both (e.g., ashlar
masonry, urban mortuary practices, composite anchors, the Cypro-Minoan
script). The study then zeroes in more specifically to present the
Cypriot material uncovered in Ugarit (especially seals, metals and
pottery), followed by some of the Levantine materials found on Cyprus.
All known documentary evidence related to these two polities is
presented and discussed with respect to three factors: people, politics
and professions. The discussion section that follows takes a broader
look at material and mercantile connectivity in the Late Bronze Age
eastern Mediterranean, considering in turn the merchants of Ugarit and
Cyprus, maritime spheres of interaction, and the actors and agents
involved in these mercantile worlds. Although Ugarit and Cyprus were two
very different kinds of society, they shared a vital, commercial link,
one that — over time — had a transformative impact on Cyprus.
Introduction
Background
Ugarit
Cyprus
Ugarit and Cyprus: Common Material Features
Ashlar Masonry
Urban Mortuary Practices
Composite Anchors
Cypro-Minoan Script
Cypriot Material in Ugarit
Seals
Metals
Pottery
Levantine Material in Cyprus
Levantine Pottery on Cyprus
Other Levantine Material on Cyprus
Cyprus and Ugarit: Documentary Evidence
People, Politics and Professions
People
Politics
Professions
Discussion: Material and Mercantile Connectivity in the Late Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean
The Merchants of Ugarit and Cyprus
Maritime sphere(s) of interaction
Mercantile Worlds: Actors and Agents
Conclusions