Hala Sultan Tekke (archaeological site)

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Hala Sultan Tekke
Cyprus relief location map.jpg
Archaeological site icon (red).svg
Shown within Cyprus
Alternative nameDromolaxia-Vyzakia
Location Larnaca, Cyprus
Coordinates 34°53′07″N33°36′36″E / 34.885277°N 33.610013°E / 34.885277; 33.610013
Typesettlement
History
Founded2nd millennium BC
PeriodsLate Bronze Age
Site notes
Excavation dates1897-1898, 1948, 1971-2008, 2010-present
ArchaeologistsHenry Beauchamp Walters, John Winter Crowfoot, Arne Furumark, Vassos Karageorghis, Paul Åström, Peter Fischer
ConditionRuined
OwnershipPublic
Public accessNo

Hala Sultan Tekke (occasionally referred to as Dromolaxia-Vyzakia) is an ancient archaeological site which lies close to the mosque of the same name and to the international airport of Larnaca on the south coast of Cyprus. The site lies on the western shore of the half square kilometer Larnaca Salt Lake. In the Late Bronze Age the lake was open to the Mediterranean, acting as a protected harbor for the settlement. Hala Sultan Tekke was occupied in the middle of the 2nd century BC, c. 1650 BC, and reached its peak in the 12th and 13th century BC before being destroyed and abandoned c. 1150 BC. Its ancient name is still unknown. The site has been subject to looting at various periods in the past and is endangered by modern deep agricultural plowing at the edges. Despite being only occupied for a few centuries this is a notable archaeological site with a long history of small scale modern excavation. [1]

Contents

Archaeology

John Myres examined the site briefly in 1894. The site was excavated for about a week in December 1897 by Henry Beauchamp Walters on behalf of the British Museum with "not more than 40 workers". The extent of his work is unclear but he recorded 10 tombs. In April 1898 John Winter Crowfoot worked at the site for 8 days, also for the British Museum. He emptied "fifty or sixty chamber tombs and several wells" and recorded 13 of the tombs which dated from the Middle Cypriot III and Late Cypriot IA-IIC periods (c. 1600-1080 BC). The tombs had already been partly looted. Finds included Mycenae, Minoan, and Canaanite pottery, objects of gold, silver, faience, glass, bronze, and ivory, a cylinder seal, and a Cypro-Minoan inscribed clay ball (4 in total have now been found). [2] The excavator indicated some objects were imported from Egypt. In neither of these early excavations were resulted published though a few excavator notes are available. [3] [4] In 1948 Arne Furumark discovered a large pithos at the site and did a short excavation of it. In 1968 Vassos Karageorghis excavated two circular chamber tombs with central roof openings in a location later excavators called "Area A, ‘The Cemetery’". All the burials showed signs of plagiocephaly, intentional cranial deformation. Finds included animal bones, ostrich eggs, objects of silver, gold, ivory, bronze, lead, and carnelian, and three cylinder seals. Mycenae pottery and Late Minoan IIIA-IIIB stirrup jars, kraters, and a bowl were also found. [5]

Earrings, Late Bronze Age Cyprus (Top: Hala Sultan Tekke, Bottom: tomb 2 Maroni), British Museum Ear rings LC.jpg
Earrings, Late Bronze Age Cyprus (Top: Hala Sultan Tekke, Bottom: tomb 2 Maroni), British Museum

In 1971 a topographic survey was conducted in three trial trenches were dug by the Swedish Cyprus Expedition from the University of Gothenburg, led by Paul Åström. [6] The survey showed that the settlement covered about 600 meters east to west and about 450 meters north to south. In 1972, after a proton magnetometry survey was conducted, small scale excavations began, continuing until 2008, interrupted by war in 1974. Based on the survey areas were defined in the settlement. In Area 6, northwest, a 1.2 meter wall was found and 4th century BC sling bullets with signs in classical Cypriot syllabary. In Area 8, central, a large building dating to Late Cypriot III A2, with courtyard, was discovered. On room in that build had ashlar block floors and walls revetted with thin stone slabs with a well containing "drinking cups, grape pips, grains, and fishbones". A wide staircase in the front of the room led down to the courtyard. [7] Nearby finds included stone mould for casting copper arrowheads, a bronze shovel with twisted handle, a bronze needle, a bronze pin, a faience head, a carnelian bead, and two pithoi with short Cypro-Minoan syllabary inscriptions. [8] [9] [10] Other finds in this area included terracotta figurines, faience beads, crushed murex shells, red ochre, an ivory comb, a clay ball and stone weights with Cypriot syllabary inscriptions, and a faience scepter with a cartouche of pharaoh Horemheb. Two looted chamber tombs were cleared and produced a hematite cylinder seal. [11] An extensive industry in copper production and coppersmithing was discovered. [12] [13] Underwater exploration between Kiti and Cape Greco finding a number of anchors and other nautical items from various periods. [14] In 1979 a Very Low Frequency Discriminative Detector survey found a number of metal object including lead sling bullets. [15]

Cypro-Minoan clay ball in the Louvre. Clay ball cypro-minoan Louvre AM2235.jpg
Cypro-Minoan clay ball in the Louvre.

Excavation resumed (sometimes referred to as the "New Swedish Cyprus Expedition" or "The Söderberg Expedition") under Peter Fischer in 2010. [16] The excavators noted that some looting has occurred in various periods at the site over the last century between excavations resulting in objects appearing on the antiquities market without provenance. From 2010 until 2019 excavation focused on city center area CQ1, CQ2, CQ3, and CQ4 (which was near the harbor and buildings had sturdier construction. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] There were five strata of occupation layers: [22]

Much of the effort as been on the cemetery area and a major focus has been "safeguarding and recording of tombs which are exposed to destruction by farming, erosion and potential looting". The cemetery lies in the east-south-east part of the site, has an area of several hectares, and is on a slightly raised platform. The tombs there have associated ritual pits and consists of chamber tombs, shaft tombs, and re-used wells. [23] [24] Sample for AMS radiocarbon dating (calibration with INTCAL13) were collected from the city area and from the cemetery. Calibrating C-14 dated from this time are difficult. [25]

History

The chronology of Cyprus during the later half of the 2nd millennium BC is defined as follows (different researchers use slightly different dates): [26]

Occupation at began c. 1650 BC in Middle Cypriot III–Late Cypriot I with most of the earlier material being found in cemeteries. Primary remains from the site are from the final occupation from the 13th century BC until the middle of the 12th century BC in Late Cypriot IIIA period when the settlement reached its greatest extent with an estimated population of about 11,000. Afterward it was permanently abandoned after being violently destroyed by conflagration c. 1150 BC, part of a regional wide phenomenon. [27] The town was laid out in a grid pattern with roads as wide as 4 meters. [28] Imports found at the site indicate it was part of a large trading network which extended to Egypt, Italy, the Aegean, Anatolia, and the Levant. The many Syria/Mesopotamia seals found show an administrative system was in function. [29] [30] [25] [31]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kofel, Dominika, Teresa Bürge, and Peter M. Fischer, "Crops and food choices at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke", Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 36, 2021
  2. ↑ Silvia Ferrara, and Miguel Valério, "Contexts and Repetitions of Cypro-Minoan Inscriptions: Function and Subject Matter of Clay Balls", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 378, pp. 71–94, 2017
  3. ↑ Åström, Paul, "Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus", ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΠΕΤΗΡΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΚΗΣ ΣΧΟΛΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟΥ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ, pp. 231-236, 2015
  4. ↑ Nicolaou, Kyriakos, "Archaeological News from Cyprus, 1977-1978", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 84, no. 1, pp. 63–73, 1980
  5. ↑ Karageorghis, V., "Two Late Bronze Age Tombs from Hala Sultan Tekke", in Åström, P., Bailey, M.D. and Karageorghis, V. (eds.), Hala Sultan Tekke 1, Excavations 1897–1971 (Göteborg, Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology 45/1), pp. 71–89, 1976
  6. ↑ Nicolaou, Kyriakos, "Archaeological News from Cyprus, 1972", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 77, no. 4, pp. 425–33, 1973
  7. ↑ Nicolaou, Kyriakos, "Archaeological News from Cyprus, 1975", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 81, no. 4, pp. 523–32, 1977
  8. ↑ Nicolaou, K., "Archaeology in Cyprus, 1969-76", Archaeological Reports, no. 22, pp. 34–69, 1975
  9. ↑ Nicolaou, Kyriakos, "Archaeological News from Cyprus, 1976", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 82, no. 4, pp. 521–35, 1978
  10. ↑ Symons, D. J., "Archaeology in Cyprus, 1981-85", Archaeological Reports, no. 33, pp. 62–77, 1986
  11. ↑ Åström, P., "The Late Cypriot Bronze Age", vol. 4, part 1C. Lund: Swedish Cyprus Expedition, 1972
  12. ↑ Åström, Paul, "Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke", Archaeology, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 58–81, 1984
  13. ↑ Mehofer, M., "Bronze Age copper production at Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus: preliminary results", in The Decline of Bronze Age Civilisations in the Mediterraean: Cyprus and Beyond, pp. 347-356, 2023
  14. ↑ Nicolaou, Kyriakos, "Archaeological News from Cyprus, 1973", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 125–34, 1975
  15. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., et al., "News and Short Contributions", Journal of Field Archaeology, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 479–96, 1980
  16. ↑ Fischer, P.M., "SIMA and the New Swedish Cyprus Expedition at Hala Sultan Tekke", Webb, J.M.; Frankel, D. (eds), Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology: Fifty Years On. Uppsala: Paul Åströms förlag, pp. 73-80, 2012
  17. ↑ Fischer, P.M.; Bürge, T., "Tombs and Offering Pits at the Late Bronze Age Metropolis of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus", American Schools of Oriental Research, 378, pp. 1-106, 2017
  18. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., and Tzveta V. Manolova, "Boat-shaped objects of lead from late Bronze Age Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus, and the Uluburun shipwreck", Oxford Journal of Archaeology 44.3, pp. 228-247, 2025
  19. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., "The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2010. Excavations at Dromolaxia Vizatzia/Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results", Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome 4.4/2011, pp. 69-89, 2011
  20. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., and Teresa Bürge, "The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2017: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results", Opuscula. Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome 11, pp. 29-79, 2018
  21. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., and Teresa Bürge, "The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition (The Söderberg Expedition): excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke 2020 and 2021", Opuscula: Annual of the Swedish Institutes at Athens and Rome 15, pp. 7-76, 2022
  22. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., "Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus: A Late Bronze Age Trade Metropolis", Near Eastern Archaeology, vol. 82, no. 4, pp. 236–247, 2019
  23. ↑ Feldbacher, Rainer, et al., "An Aegean Mirror From Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus", Oxford Journal of Archaeology 43.2, pp. 153-172, 2024
  24. ↑ Fischer, Peter, et al., "The Cemetery of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus: Excavations of Late Bronze Age Chamber Tombs in 2023", Ägypten und Levante 34, pp. 17-68, 2025
  25. 1 2 Wild, Eva M., et al., "14C-dating of the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus: status report", Radiocarbon 61.5, pp. 1253-1264, 2019
  26. ↑ Crawford, Katherine A., and Marc-Antoine Vella, "Cyprus Dataset: Settlements from 11000 BCE to 1878 CE", Journal of Open Archaeology Data 10.7, pp. 1-6, 2022
  27. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., "The 13th/12th century BCE destructions and the abandonment of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus", pp. 177-206, 2017
  28. ↑ Herscher, Ellen, "Archaeology in Cyprus", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 102, no. 2, pp. 309–54, 1998
  29. ↑ Devillers, Benoît, Michael Brown, and Christophe Morhange, "Paleo-environmental evolution of the Larnaca Salt Lakes (Cyprus) and the relationship to second millennium BC settlement", Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 1, pp. 73-80, 2015
  30. ↑ Fischer, P.M., "The Occupational History of the Bronze Age Harbour City of Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus", Egypt and the Levant, 29, pp, 189-320, 2019
  31. ↑ Fischer, Peter M., "Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus. Trade with Egypt in the Bronze Age", “And in Length of Days Understanding”(Job 12: 12) Essays on Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond in Honor of Thomas E. Levy. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1069-1084, 2023

Further reading

Excavation reports

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