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

The Cypriot copper industry reached its peak during the LBA in terms of
organization, production, and quantity of exports. This assertion is confirmed by the
volume of copper exported throughout the eastern and central Mediterranean, reflected in
the distribution of copper oxhide ingots. 759 Contemporary textual records from Amarna,
Ugarit and Hattusha also record massive amounts of exported Alashiyan (understood as
Cypriot) copper. 760
As already mentioned, two key metallurgical centers were in
existence by the LC I period at Enkomi and Politiko-Phorades. By the LC II and III
periods, metalworking traces are ubiquitous throughout the island, occurring at almost
every site. This evidence indicates that copper smelting/refining, metal melting, and
casting all took place on Cyprus.
Despite the noticeable increase in metallurgical activity and production on the
island, the sum of Cypriot tools uniquely declined from the MBA to the LBA (Fig. 3.1a,
b). With just one example from the MBA, agricultural tools became an important
component of the LBA Cypriot tool repertoire. The number of LC metallurgical tools is
comparable to Anatolia and Crete—areas with strong metallurgical traditions. In spite of
the decrease in tools by the LC era, utilitarian implements retained their popularity on
Cyprus. Small crafting implements are found with some regularity in LC contexts, at a
proportion similar to that in Anatolia. As for the carpentry/masonry implements, there is
only a slight increase from the MC to LC periods. This pattern is somewhat surprising
given Cyprus’ numerous construction projects in the 13 th and 12 th centuries. The majority
(80%) of LC carpentry/masonry tool types already existed on the island during the MBA,
meaning that Cyprus’ tool industry was not completely overhauled when elite public
759 Lo Schiavo et al. 2009; Muhly 2009.
760 Beckman 1996a; Beckman 1996b; Wells 1996; Knapp 2008, 307-313.
324