MANFRED BIETAK, ERNST CZERNY (EDITORS)
THE SYNCHRONISATION OF CIVILISATIONS IN THE EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN IN THE SECOND MILLENNIUM B.C. III
�STERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN
DENKSCHRIFTEN DER GESAMTAKADEMIE, BAND XXXVII
Contributions to the Chronology
of the Eastern Mediterranean
Edited by Manfred Bietak
and Hermann Hunger
Volume IX
�STERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN
DENKSCHRIFTEN DER GESAMTAKADEMIE, BAND XXXVII
THE SYNCHRONISATION OF CIVILISATIONS
IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN IN THE
SECOND MILLENNIUM B.C. III
Proceedings of the SCIEM 2000  2nd EuroConference
Vienna, 28th of May  1st of June 2003
Edited
by
MANFRED BIETAK and ERNST CZERNY
Editorial Committee: Irene Kaplan and Angela Schwab
Vorgelegt von w. M. MANFRED BIETAK in der Sitzung am 24. Juni 2005
Gedruckt mit Unterst�tzung der European Commission, High-level Scientific Conferences
www.cordis.lu/improving/conferences
Spezialforschungsbereich SCIEM 2000
 Die Synchronisierung der Hochkulturen im �stlichen Mittelmeerraum
im 2. Jahrtausend v. Chr.
der �sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
beim Fonds zur F�rderung
der wissenschaftlichen Forschung.
Special Research Programme SCIEM 2000
 The Synchronisation of Civilisations in the Eastern Mediterranean
in the Second Millennium B.C.
of the Austrian Academy of Sciences at the Austrian Science Fund
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A Catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
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ISBN 978-3-7001-3527-2
Copyright � 2007 by �sterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien
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005_012 Contents.qxd 04.06.2007 16:57 Seite 5
CONTENTS
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Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
MANFRED BIETAK, ERNST CZERNY, Preface by the Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
INTRODUCTION: HIGH AND LOW CHRONOLOGY
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MANFRED BIETAK and FELIX H�FLMAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SCIENCE AND CHRONOLOGY
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MALCOLM H. WIENER
Times Change: The Current State of the Debate in Old World Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
MAX BICHLER, BARBARA DUMA, HEINZ HUBER, and ANDREAS MUSILEK
Distinction of Pre-Minoan Pumice from Santorini, Greece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
MAX BICHLER, HEINZ HUBER, and PETER WARREN
Project Thera Ashes  Pumice Sample from Knossos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
HENDRIK J. BRUINS
Charcoal Radiocarbon Dates of Tell el-Dabca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
HENDRIK J. BRUINS, AMIHAI MAZAR, and JOHANNES VAN DER PLICHT
The End of the 2nd Millennium BCE and the Transition from Iron I to Iron IIA: Radiocarbon
Dates of Tel Rehov, Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
STURT W. MANNING
Clarifying the  High v.  Low Aegean/Cypriot Chronology for the Mid Second Millennium BC:
Assessing the Evidence, Interpretive Frameworks, and Current State of the Debate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
NICOLAS J.G. PEARCE, JOHN A. WESTGATE, SHERI J. PREECE, WARREN J. EASTWOOD,
WILLIAM T. PERKINS, and JOANNA S. HART
Reinterpretation of Greenland Ice-core Data Recognises the Presence of the Late
Holocene Aniakchak Tephra (Alaska), not the Minoan Tephra (Santorini), at 1645 BC. . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
ILAN SHARON, AYELET GILBOA, and ELISABETTA BOARETTO
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C and the Early Iron Age of Israel  Where are we really at? A Commentary on the
Tel Rehov Radiometric Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
URO`
ANDERLI& and MARIA G. FIRNEIS
First Lunar Crescents for Babylon in the 2nd Millennium B.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
CHRONOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL STATEMENTS: EGYPT
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KENNETH A. KITCHEN
Egyptian and Related Chronologies  Look, no Sciences, no Pots! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
ROLF KRAUSS
An Egyptian Chronology for Dynasties XIII to XXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
KATHERINA ASLANIDOU
Some Ornamental Scenes on the Wall Paintings from Tell el Dabca: Iconography and Context . . . . . . 191
DAVID A. ASTON
Kom Rabica, Ezbet Helmi, and Saqqara NK 3507. A Study in Cross-Dating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
BETTINA BADER
A Tale of Two Cities: First Results of a Comparison Between Avaris and Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
MANFRED BIETAK
Bronze Age Paintings in the Levant: Chronological and Cultural Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
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6 Contents
PERLA FUSCALDO
Tell el-Dabca: Some Remarks on the Pottery from cEzbet Helmi
(Areas H/III and H/VI, Strata e/1 and d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
HELEN JACQUET-GORDON
A Habitation Site at Karnak North Prior to the New Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
TEODOZJA RZEUSKA
Some Remarks on the Egyptian kernoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
CHRONOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL STATEMENTS: THE LEVANT AND SYRIA
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SANDRA ANTONETTI
Intra moenia Middle Bronze Age Burials at Tell es-Sultan: A Chronological Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
MICHAL ARTZY
Tell Abu Hawam: News from the Late Bronze Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
FRANS VAN KOPPEN
Syrian Trade Routes of the Mari Age and MB II Hazor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
MARIO A.S. MARTIN
A Collection of Egyptian and Egyptian-style Pottery at Beth Shean. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
MIRKO NOV�K
Mittani Empire and the Question of Absolute Chronology: Some Archaeological Considerations. . . . . 389
LUCA PEYRONEL
Late Old Syrian Fortifications and Middle Syrian Re-Occupation on the Western Rampart
at Tell Mardikh-Ebla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
UWE SIEVERTSEN
New Research on Middle Bronze Age Chronology of Western Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
JEAN-PAUL THALMANN
A Seldom Used Parameter in Pottery Studies: the Capacity of Pottery Vessels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
CHRONOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL STATEMENTS: THE AEGEAN, CYPRUS AND ADJACENT AREAS
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LINDY CREWE
The Foundation of Enkomi: A New Analysis of the Stratigraphic Sequence and
Regional Ceramic Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
WALTER GAUSS and RUDOLFINE SMETANA
Early and Middle Bronze Age Stratigraphy and Pottery from Aegina Kolonna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
PETER PAV�K
New Perspectives on Troia VI Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
JACKE PHILIPPS
The Amenhotep III  Plaques from Mycenae: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Comparison, Contrast and a Question of Chronology
PETER M. WARREN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
A New Pumice Analysis from Knossos and the End of Late Minoan I A
SECTION: MYCENAEANS AND PHILISTINES IN THE LEVANT
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SIGRID DEGER-JALKOTZY
Section  Mycenaeans and Philistines in the Levant : Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
PAUL �STR�M
Sinda and the Absolute Chronology of Late Cypriote IIIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
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Contents 7
TRISTAN J. BARAKO
Coexistence and Impermeability: Egyptians and Philistines in Southern Canaan
During the Twelfth Century BCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
ISRAEL FINKELSTEIN
Is the Philistine Paradigm Still Viable? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
ELISABETH FRENCH
The Impact on Correlations to the Levant of the Recent Stratigraphic Evidence from the Argolid. . . 525
MARTA GUZOWSKA and ASSAF YASUR-LANDAU
The Mycenaean Pottery from Tel Aphek: Chronology and Patterns of Trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537
SOPHOCLES HADJISAVVAS
The Public Face of the Absolute Chronology for Cypriot Prehistory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
REINHARD JUNG
Tell Kazel and the Mycenaean Contacts with Amurru (Syria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
AMIHAI MAZAR
Myc IIIC in the Land Israel: Its Distribution, Date and Significance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571
PENELOPE A. MOUNTJOY
The Dating of the Early LC IIIA Phase at Enkomi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
CONSTANCE VON R�DEN
Exchange Between Cyprus and Crete in the  Dark Ages ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
DAVID USSISHKIN
Lachish and the Date of the Philistine Settlement in Canaan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
ASSAF YASUR-LANDAU
Let s Do the Time Warp again: Migration Processes and the Absolute Chronology of the
Philistine Settlement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
SHARON ZUCKERMAN
Dating the Destruction of Canaanite Hazor without Mycenaean Pottery? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
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EXCHANGE BETWEEN CYPRUS AND CRETE IN THE  DARK AGES ?
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Constance von R�den*
This paper intends to discuss different kinds of unknown or unreliable or cannot be exactly dated.
exchange between Crete and Cyprus during the so In some other cases the poor state of preservation
called Dark Ages, referring respectively to the Sub- has prevented a stylistic or any other kind of exam-
minoan period (Crete) and to LC III B (Cyprus). In ination as to the artefacts place or date of origin.
comparison to the Late Bronze Age with its interre- Under better circumstances, a transfer of ideas or
gional system of exchange throughout the Eastern materials can be proven if the stylistic or scientific
Mediterranean, the Dark Ages has traditionally been characteristics of the imports and the find context
seen as a period of regression and retreat, especially are able to be dated within the examined time
in regard to interregional communication. Because frame. Things are more promising in the case of
the archaeological data post-dating the collapse of Cyprus. Here there is clear evidence for an LC III B
the Late Bronze Age system is scarce and because no archaeological context for some of the imports.
texts have been preserved, many studies concerning One-handled and two-handled lentoid flasks of
the Dark Ages have been based on the idea of region- South-Levantine origin have been found in Salamis
ally isolated societies in economic retreat and lacking Tomb 11 and in the tombs of Alaas,2 Lapithos,3
in any standard of interregional communication. Kourion4 and Palaepaphos-Kouklia.5 A scarab from
New finds, however, and changing perspectives have Enkomi,6 dated stylistically to the 19th or 20th
shed light on this picture and partly revised the idea dynasty, should also be taken into account. Some
of complete isolation. In line with this revised theory exchange, especially with the Southern Levant is
on the state of art in the Dark Ages, the following therefore to be assumed. CG I vessels from Israel,
essay will investigate the question with respect to furthermore, support this assumption.7 But what do
finds on Crete and Cyprus. these artefacts say about the range of this system of
All material evidence indicating exchange through exchange? Was it restricted to Cyprus and the
import and in the form of stylistic parallels has been Southern Levant, or is it part of a far-reaching net-
examined against the background of the develop- work ranging throughout the Eastern Mediter-
ment of settlements and of changes in the material ranean?
culture on both islands. In order to prevent a bias of The extant data regarding imported goods on
interpretation, theories of migration have been Crete is too minimal to allow an adequate assess-
ignored. Regarding the question of an exchange of ment of the island s involvement in an Eastern
goods, all possible imports on Crete and Cyprus, those Mediterranean communication system. Stylistic and
of Cypriote and Cretan origin, as well as those of thematic parallels in the local Cretan and Cypriot
other regions in the Eastern Mediterranean have production do, however, hint at some kind of
been taken into account. The phenomena of down- exchange. Quite similar to the Late Bronze Age,
the-line trade und trade centres rules out the option common stylistic and thematic elements in the dif-
of restricting the material base of evidence to Cretan ferent material cultures of the Eastern Mediter-
and Cypriote finds only. ranean are also characteristic for the Dark Ages.
The Cretan artefacts often considered as imports Local production on Crete and Cyprus falls under
have been less useful in trying to determine interre- this category. The most popular examples of stylis-
gional exchange, since their context is either tic and thematic parallels are the characteristics of
* 4
University of T�bingen. DANIEL 1937, 73, 26, 66, 86, 57, 49, pl. I, IV.
1 5
YON 1971, 45 48, No. 93, 94, 104, 105, 106, pl. 27. KARAGEORGHIS 1967, 20, figs. 8, 17.
2 6
KARAGEORGHIS 1973, 57, Tomb 15, No. 13, Tomb 17, No. 26. COURTOIS 1971, 328.
3 7
PIERIDOU 1965, pl. XIII, 10, Tomb P. 74, No. 79, 98. MAZAR 1994, 39 59.
595_600 R den.qxd 12.06.2007 10:23 Seite 596
596 Constance von R�den
the Proto-White Painted ware of Cyprus and the could YON find a suitable comparison in LM III B
Subminoan ware of Crete.8 But the question ceramic.15 The earliest example on Crete is, in fact, a
remains: in which cases can they be accepted as gen- goat in silhouette on a Subminoan crater of the Gia-
uine proof of an exchange of style and decoration malakis collection, and IACOVOU showed clearly that
during the Dark Ages? this manner of representation had been known in
Such parallels are to be considered as valid indica- Cyprus since the Late Bronze Age and that the Cre-
tions only if they cannot otherwise be explained in tan goat in silhouette more likely traces back to Lev-
the context of their local ceramic tradition. So, for antine or Cypriot prototypes.16 On the one hand,
the present example of Cretan and Cypriot ware, it is then, we have a transfer of the shape and perhaps
necessary to rule out all common features already even some features of the painting from Crete to
shared by the ceramic styles of both islands in the Cyprus, while it is assumed, on the other hand, that
Late Bronze Age. Most of the vessel shapes, in par- the goat in silhouette was passed from Cyprus or the
ticular, had shown up on both islands during the Levant on to Crete.
flourishing Late Aegean Bronze Age, so their appear- Another parallel is the duck vase with a basket-
ance in the Proto-White Painted and the Subminoan handle, a simple spout instead of a head, and three
repertoires cannot be taken as proof of materials small elevations like legs. This vessel form appears on
transfer or artistic communication. I.e., the possibili- both islands in the course of the Subminoan and LC
ty of a separate development rooted in the genuine III B periods.17 Even if we accept that duck vases in
tradition of either island cannot be ruled out. general already existed on Cyprus, the variant con-
The exclusion of the above mentioned examples is sidered in this study differs from its earlier counter-
methodologically necessary, but there are other par- parts.18 The extreme similarities in shape and manner
allels between the two islands, which still have to be of the examples from both islands rule out the expla-
considered in light of the question of a system of nation of independent development in their respec-
exchange: tive local cultures. Therefore it must be assumed an
As Desborough already recognized, the pyxis with influence between the two islands, no matter which
vertical handles, rising from the flat base, is one such direction in opposition to Desborough and Pieridou,
example.9 On Crete this special pyxis shape became who support the idea of a one-way transfer of the
popular from LM III C onwards10 and is comparable duck vase from Crete to Cyprus without, however,
with the few Proto-White Painted pyxides on presenting an argument for their opinion.19
Cyprus, as the examples from Salamis and Palaepa- The same results in the case of the amphoriskos
phos show.11 A singular pyxis with a ring base from a with false spout. The shape is quite popular in the
III B stratum of Enkomi was classified by DIKAIOS Proto-White Painted ware of Cyprus20 and there are
as local LH III C and can be seen as a forerunner of few Cretan examples.21 The shape cannot be traced
the Cypriot type.12 back earlier than to the Subminoan and LC III B
Also, the painting on one Proto-White Painted periods. The apparent spout, which is closed and
example, showing a goat, a bird and a person carry- eventually became a rudimentary element, is such a
ing a kylix seems to have affinities to the closed style characteristic feature of this vessel that its separate
of LM III C pottery on Crete.13 Pieridou particular- development on each island is hardly probable,
ly emphasizes the depiction of the goat, painted in though it must be admitted that the direction of
silhouette, as a Subminoan inspiration for Cypriot influence cannot be determined.
animal depictions.14 However, the LM III C ceramic The shape of the so called kantharos in the reper-
from Crete shows a preference for the open style, nor toire of Subminoan pottery is so similar to the exam-
8 14
FURUMARK 1944, 194 265; DESBOROUGH 1972, 112 133. PIERIDOU 1973, 64.
9 15
DESBOROUGH 1972, 62. YON 1970, 311 17.
10 16
SEIRADHAKI 1960, 18, fig. 12; SACKETT POPHAM 1965, 289; IACOVOU 1988, 81.
17
POPHAM 1967, 337 351, pl. 90b, c; HALL 1914, pl. 30; PIERIDOU 1973, 68/69; HALL 1914, fig. 92, 1 2; DESBOR-
KANTA 1980, 282, 4 5. OUGH 1972, 61.
11 18
YON 1971, 41, pl. 25, 79; MAIER 1969, pl. III, 2; KARA- LEMOS 1994, 229 37.
19
GEORGHIS 1965, 73, 1 7 ; PIERIDOU 1973, 64. DESBOROUGH 1972, 60 62, PIERIDOU 1973, 68 69.
12 20
DIKAIOS 1969, pl. 82, 27. PIERIDOU 1973, 20, pl. 7, No. 4 8.
13 21
DESBOROUGH 1972, 62, 56, fig. A. KANTA 1980, 286.
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Exchange between Cyprus and Crete in the  Dark Ages ? 597
ples in the Proto-White-Painted ceramic that it is The interpretation of an exclusive system of
also interpreted as evidence of a certain connection transfer between Crete and Cyprus in the Dark Ages
between the two islands.22 It can be considered as a seems too limited. At the very least, vessel shapes like
sub-group of the earlier amphoroid crater, which had the bottle-shaped vase, the kylix with swollen stem,
been popular on both islands in the period preceding and the belly-handled amphora and amphoriskos,
the Dark Ages. The Subminoan23 and Proto-White which appeared on both islands in the course of the
Painted examples,24 however, are smaller in size than Dark Ages, have to be regarded in a wider context.
their predecessors and have a biconical body, a broad The bottle-shaped vases from Karphi26 and a Sub-
conical foot, and the wide type of handles. The strik- Mycenaean example of the Kerameikos in Attica27
ing similarity in development of this shape, resulting stand opposite the broad spectrum of Cypriot Proto-
in a smaller variant in both repertoires, is not White Painted vessels, whose prototype is assumed to
explainable without assuming some kind of interre- be from the Levant.28 In none of the areas is the
gional communication. shape documented earlier, so at least some form of
Another parallel is the depiction of a triangle exchange must have taken place among these regions
enclosing semicircles on the shoulder of a stirrup jar during the period analysed in this study.
(FS 177). This characteristic decoration system is Also the shape of the kylix with the swollen
restricted to Cretan and Cypriot ceramic repertoires stem,29 as mentioned above, is represented in all three
originating in the period under study,25 so that some areas during this period and it can be even traced
form of influence  regardless of the direction  is back to the LH III C ware.30 The same applies for the
probable. Even if the decoration system plays a sig- belly-handled amphoras31 and amphoriskoi.32 Desbor-
nificant role in the Cretan context, Desborough s oughs interpretation of the Minoan belly-handled
assumption of a Minoan origin is not necessary. amphora as influenced by Cypriot ware33 does not
All these ceramic features appear on both islands represent the whole spectrum of interpretations. The
in the course of the Dark Ages. Even if an analogous possible interpretation of an exchange is much wider,
vessel form or a kind of decoration can be traced back and the Greek mainland has to be considered in the
to similarities in the respective repertoires of the Late context of such kind of exchange.
Bronze Age, a characteristic item of the Dark Ages An interpretation based solely on imported goods
example enable to distinguish it from the forerunner. does not allow the reconstruction of a system of
The idea of a one-way influence from one island to the exchange including both islands. An exchange of
other cannot be confirmed. The uncertainties in goods can be established to some degree for Cyprus
chronology are the greatest hindrance in determining and the Southern Levant, but there is no clear evi-
the direction of transfer. There are a few exceptions, dence for Cretan involvement.
for which the direction of transfer seems clear, but But how can we account for the mutual assimila-
they do not seem to be homogeneous. The example of tion of elements not able to be explained as indepen-
the pyxis, for instance, suggests that a Cretan shape dent developments out of similar Late Bronze Age
influenced the development of a Cypriot analogy, ceramic traditions? Examples for the assimilation of
while the painting of a goat in silhouette suggests a stylistic elements in the Late Bronze Age are plenty,
transfer the other way around. Based on some aspects but in this period the high number of imports, which
of the actual archaeological context, there seems to could have inspired them, explain the phenomena
have been a situation of mutual influence. easily. It is not possible, however, to explain the sub-
22 30
DESBOROUGH 1972, 57. MOUNTJOY 1986, 172, fig. 222.1.
23 31
SEIRADAKI 1960, 1 37, fig. 14, 7, pl. 11b; KANTA 1980, 274. MOUNTJOY 1986, 202; PIERIDOU 1973, 61, pl. 19, 4 6; HOOD,
24
PIERIDOU 1973, 34, pl. 23, 4 9. HUXLEY, SANDERS, 1958 59, 241, Fig 27: VII 2
25 32
SEIRADAKI 1960, 1 37, fig. 11, 1, 3.; HALL 1914, 150, fig. 89; MOUNTJOY 1986, 121, 124; fig. 150, KANTA 1980, 166, PIERI-
HOOD, Huxley, SANDARS 1958/59, 194 262, fig. 27; PIERI- DOU 1973, 60, pl. 18, 6 11, COLDSTREAM, CATLING 1996, 303,
DOU 1973, 67/68. fig. 73; SACKETT, POPHAM 1965, 295, fig. 15: P 23; SEIRAD-
26
SEIRADAKI 1960, pl. 11b. HAKI 1960, 21, fig. 14, BOYD 1901, pl. II, 8; HALL 1914, 146,
27
KRAIKER, K�BLER 1939, pl. 27 fig. 86d; BROCK 1957, pl. 3, 3.
28 33
PIERIDOU 1973, 69. DESBOROUGH 1973, 59.
29
KLING 1989, 143, fig. 9d; PIERIDOU 1973, 58; KANTA 1980,
264.
595_600 R den.qxd 12.06.2007 10:23 Seite 598
598 Constance von R�den
sequent assimilations without assuming some kind of active participation in an interregional exchange dur-
exchange, regardless of whether the artefacts show- ing this period. It is true that many changes are obvi-
ing these characteristics were imported or the ous in the local material culture of Cyprus, but
exchange of stylistic parallels occurred otherwise. nonetheless it is also true that the settlement shift
But what kind of system of exchange can we occurring at the end of the Late Bronze Age resulted
assume for the Dark Ages? The palatial system of the furthermore in an orientation to the sea. Either this
Late Bronze Age disappeared or at least decreased, happened out of habit, in spite of any possible dan-
but this does not seem to have been the only level of gers, or the sea remained an indispensable factor for
exchange conducted. The texts of Ugarit hint that the maintenance of subsistence level.
traders attained a certain independency from the In conclusion, any study into the range of a sys-
redistributive palatial system in the course of the tem of exchange involving Cyprus and Crete in the so
Late Bronze Age.34 Furthermore, the different called Dark Ages must widen the perspective to
descriptions of traders in Ugarit are interpreted by include the Eastern Mediterranean area and account
Liverani as indications for the existence of official and for the development on Cyprus. That done, the stylis-
private kinds of traders.35 The private traders must tic and thematic parallels evident in the material cul-
have been free to regulate their administrative duties tures of both islands must be interpreted as scant
themselves and must have had enough economic free- archaeological remains of a much broader spectrum
dom to carry on the transfer into the Dark Ages. of exchange ranging throughout the Eastern
The decrease in palatial exchange also led to alter- Mediterranean. Unfortunately the types of
ations in the character of the exchange. The palatial exchange, the organizational structures, and the
demand for luxury goods from far away places goods transferred, all of which triggered the sort of
stopped, which resulted in the decrease of an impor- artistic and material assimilation described in this
tant archaeological source of evidence. article, cannot be determined on the basis of the pre-
Cyprus, in particular, contains the potential for an sent state of art.
34 35
RS 16.238: 1 11. LIVERANI 1962, 86.
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Exchange between Cyprus and Crete in the  Dark Ages ? 599
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