The website devoted to Cypriot archaeology

Periods

The time periods below represent the chronological evolution of human activity on Cyprus. The prehistoric periods of course merge rather then being quite so strictly delineated. Research is taking place all the time and the system is constantly being refined. For example guide books and tourist guides often state that the site of Khirokitia is the earliest site on the island. However, It is now widely acknowledged that there were migrants to Cyprus well before this. The site of Akrotiri Aetokremnos (also called Site E) pushes occupation back by thousands of years.

  • Pre-Neolithic - ca. 9825 BCE
  • Neolithic - ca. 8200-3900 BCE
  • Chalcolithic - ca. 3900-2500 BCE
  • Prehistoric Bronze Age - ca. 2500-1600 BCE
  • Late Bronze Age - ca.1600-1050 BCE
  • Iron Age - ca. 1050-475 BCE
  • Classical - 475-325 BCE
  • Hellenistic - 325-58 BCE
  • Roman - 58 BCE-330 AD
  • Byzantine - 330-1191 AD
  • Lusignian - 1192-1489 AD
  • Venetian - 1489-1571 AD
  • Ottoman - 1571-1878 AD
  • British - 1878-1960 AD
  • Cyprus Republic - 1960












Chronology

All of this appears very neat, and of course in reality the divisions in the Cypriot prehistoric periods are the constructs of modern archaeologists. As such there is often a great deal of variation in the literature, not only between the start and end dates used for these periods but also the terminology used as well. These time periods are also further broken down into smaller units that often initially followed what is called the 'Three Age System' originally created for the Danish National Museum. The system rapidly became popular and can be found in the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages as well as the Early, Middle and Late systems used in many archaeological chronologies. In the link to Chronology Schemes on the left toobar, there is a page listing some of the chronologies put forward. Each of the time periods then has further details on each period and its sub-divisions.

As examples of the evolution of Cypriot culture a number of artefacts are presented below.

Prehistoric Bronze Age

 

Red Polished Ware bowl

From tomb 105 in the cemetery (site A) on the eastern slope of Vounous, Cyprus
About 2300-2100 BC

Image from The British Museum. Full details of artefact

 

Late Bronze Age

 

Pottery stemmed bowl decorated with a procession of riders in chariots

Mycenaean, about 1400-1300 BC
From Maroni, Cyprus

Image from The British Museum. Full details of artefact

 

Iron Age

 

Painted terracotta head from a statue of a worshipper

From the Sanctuary of Apollo at Phrangissa, Tamassos, Cyprus About 600 BC

Image from The British Museum. Full details of artefact

Classical

 

Terracotta figure of a woman in Greek dress

From Tomb 105 at Amathus, Cyprus
About 300-250 BC

Image from The British Museum. Full details of artefact

Roman

 

Marble portrait head from a statue of a Julio-Claudian prince

From Kyrenia, Cyprus
Perhaps made in Cyprus, about AD 20-40

Image from The British Museum. Full details of artefact

Byzantine

 

Silver censer from the first Cyprus treasure

Byzantine, AD 602-10
Found west of Kyrenia, Cyprus on the ancient site of Lambousa

Image from The British Museum. Full details of artefact