Middle and Late Bronze Age Metal Tools from the Aegean, Eastern ...

the prominent LBA object type (53.6% or 59 out of 110 examples) on the islands, though
a noteworthy selection of razors and cleavers also appear at this time (Fig. 3.20c).
As previously noted, significant shifts occurred in the Cypriot tool industry. The
number of knives, razors, and scrapers or spatulas diminished considerably from the MC
to LC period (Fig. 3.20d). The objects are found in a range of different sites from either
period. Utilitarian tools primarily appear in burials during the MC period, while
settlements are the typical context in the LC era. The quantity of scrapers or spatulas on
Cyprus makes the island the largest consumer of this tool type. Scrapers or spatulas
appear in the Aegean MBA and LBA, yet they are not as customary in that area as on
Cyprus. 260
These utensils are evident in the Aegean and Anatolia, yet are slightly more
prominent in Syria-Palestine. Palatial and settlement sites typify the find spots of MBA
and LBA utilitarian tools in Anatolia and Syria-Palestine (Fig. 3.20e, f). Knives are
overwhelmingly the preferred all-purpose implement within Anatolian assemblages.
Anatolian razors are rare, while flanged blades, undefined implements (for cutting?) and
cutting/slashing tools are known but sporadic. The Anatolian flanged blades and
cutting/slashing tools find parallels in Syro-Palestinian utilitarian tools. Knives in Syria-
Palestine, like other regions, are the predominate utilitarian implement, followed by the
aforementioned scrapers or spatulas (Fig. 3.20f)
Overall, utilitarian implements appear in a variety of localities. Distributions in
Cyprus and the Aegean emphasize the ability of minor sites to acquire these tools, yet the
implements chiefly appear in palatial or urban centers in Anatolia and Syria-Palestine.
Given the present data, one must question whether utilitarian items served diverse
260
Scrapers/spatulas are sporadic on Crete, the mainland and the islands but they are known from each
region.
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