Kissonerga-Mylouthkia

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As Kissonerga-Mylouthkia an archaeological site in Cyprus is referred to in the specialist literature , which is located in the west of the island, about 5 km north of Paphos . It includes the early akeramische Neolithic the island (Pre-Pottery Neolithic 1 AB, about 8300 to 7000 v. Chr.), Then the early to mittelchalkolithische period 2-3 (3500-3400 v. Chr.) And primarily surface finds from the Bronze Age up to the Middle Ages , hence finds from the period between 800 BC. And around 1600. It was excavated as part of the Lemba Archaeological Project, Cyprus of the University of Edinburgh .

The archaeological investigations at the site began from 1976 to 1981, then a rescue excavation followed in 1989, a third excavation phase followed from 1994 to 1996, and finally from 2000 onwards.

The oldest finds from the akeramischen Neolithic led to the insight that the rural culture in Cyprus had started much earlier than had previously been assumed. The artifacts were found in 8 to 9 m deep wells, the oldest of which is also one of the oldest structures of this type. Well 116 was dated to the Pre-Ceramic Neolithic IA, well 133 in I B. These two wells were the most productive sites, although other wells (2030, 2070, 2100) and ditches produced similar finds, which, however, only play a minor role in the publications . The two main wells were 90 cm in diameter.

Mary Anne Murray identified the cereals, while Sue Colledge managed to prove that they were domesticated. Carole McCartney investigated the analogous development of stone tools to that on the Levantine mainland. Bernard Gratuze proved the origin of the obsidian (21 finds) from Anatolia , Eleni Asouti examined the charcoal. Sherry C. Fox identified the remains of a child from the late 9th millennium in Well 116; in well 133 the remains of a child and three adults as well as an older adolescent were found. A skull was apparently buried separately and was partially burned. Overall, the dead belonged to two burial processes that took place at different times. Separate skull burials could also be found in other places. Janet Ridout-Sharpe was able to identify mollusks , which proved which marine animals the settlers fed on, Paul Croft examined the animal bones, which included both domesticated animals such as pigs and goats, and game animals, Adam Jackson the stone artifacts such as a disc club and 40 tools and tool fragments from period IA or 120 tools from period IB, from which only one piece of obsidian was detectable. Three arrowheads from well 116 are very similar to the Byblos points of the mainland.

Mylouthkia 2 and 3 provided evidence that complex settlement structures were abandoned at least twice, which led to debates about the depopulation of the island, the bases and successes of colonization, and socio-economic strategies, which in turn shed light on the transition from the late Neolithic to the Chalcolithic in the 4th millennium . The sequences of ephemeral structures and pits also demonstrated settlement continuity, as did the round mud houses on stone foundations. At the same time, the hypothesis was put forward that the population growth made new settlements necessary, which, however, emerged in the forest areas. They consisted of less durable wooden structures. At least local deforestation, erosion and the decline of the early wood structures could be detected. Here Gordon Thomas was able to examine the structures, Diane Bolger the ceramics and Elizabeth Goring the figurative repertoire.

Apparently the settlers came from the Levantine mainland and maintained long-distance contacts, probably over several stages, as far as Anatolia.

literature

  • A. Bernard Knapp: The Archeology of Cyprus. From Earliest Prehistory through the Bronze Age , Cambridge University Press, 2013, pp. 96-102.
  • Diane Bolger, Sue Colledge, Paul Croft: Lemba Archaeological Project, Cyprus: Investigations at Kissonerga-Mylouthkia, 1976-1996. The Colonization and settlement of Cyprus , P. Åströms, Sävedalen 2003.
  • Angelos Hadjikoumis, Paul Croft, Alan Simmons, Jean Guilaine, Edgard Peltenburg, Ian Todd, Alain Le Brun, Jean-Denis Vigne: A first glimpse into butchery practices in Pre-Pottery Neolithic Cyprus: Evidence on sheep and goat remains from six sites . In: Jean-Denis Vigne, François Briois, Margareta Tengberg (eds.): Nouvelles données sur les débuts du Néolithique à Chypre, March 18-19, 2015 , Société préhistorique française, Paris 2017, pp. 199-213 (reference in Brunnen 133 that human remains were deposited near slaughtered sheep and goat skulls; possibly an indication of burial practices in the pre-ceramic Neolithic).

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