Abstract
Abandonment sequences at Middle Bronze Age Erimi have been examined using integrated stratigraphic analysis and high-resolution microarchaeological techniques, with the aim of investigating the environmental processes and socio-cultural practices that impacted on the abandonment of buildings and settlement areas. The data revealed the occurrence of two distinct processes: gradual structural degradation and rapid destruction by a fire event. Destruction sequences within burnt buildings were examined to identify the temperatures to which sediments had been exposed and to reconstruct the conflagration event. Resulting data are discussed in the context of Middle Bronze Age Cyprus, in a preliminary consideration of the ideological implications of the identified abandonment practices.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 301-320 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Levant |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Council for British Research in the Levant 2021.
Funding
This research was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affair Israel — Cultural and Scientific Affairs Department and by the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science —Weizmann Institute of Science- scholarship scheme 2018–2019. Fieldwork at Erimi were funded by the University of Torino and the Minster of Foreign Affair MAE-2018 project N.0093336/23 and MAE-2019 project N. 3616/0092770/22. Particular thanks are due to the Kimmel Center research team for the support received throughout the analyses, to Dr G. Koromila for pertinent comments and corrections of the pre-final draft of the paper, and Dr Jennifer Webb for her insightful suggestions and the final review of the paper. We gratefully acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their detailed and helpful comments. The Erimi Archaeological project would like to thank the Department of Cyprus for support, particularly the Director, Marina Solomidou-Ieronymidou, along with Yiannis Violaris, Demetra Aristoteleous and the staff of the Kourion and Limassol District Museums. We dedicate this paper to the memory of Mr Panikos Hadjihambis, mayor of the Erimi village, who greatly contributed to the Erimi Archaeological Project with constant support and enthusiasm. This research was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affair Israel ? Cultural and Scientific Affairs Department and by the Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science ?Weizmann Institute of Science- scholarship scheme 2018?2019. Fieldwork at Erimi were funded by the University of Torino and the Minster of Foreign Affair MAE-2018 project N.0093336/23 and MAE-2019 project N. 3616/0092770/22.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Kimmel Center | |
| Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science | |
| Kourion and Limassol District Museums | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affair Israel ? | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affair Israel — Cultural and Scientific Affairs Department | |
| Weizmann Institute of Science | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 3616/0092770/22, 0093336/23, MAE-2019, MAE-2018 |
| Università degli Studi di Torino |
Keywords
- Bronze Age Cyprus
- abandonment processes
- burnt structures
- microarchaeology