Lecture by Sarah Vilain co-organised by ComPAS and the Archaeological Research Unit

For registration, please, click here: https://ucy.zoom.us/…/u5AtdOChrD0pGdU0f_wKIk6gW7_tn0lMTgMj

Summary:
The island of Cyprus, situated at the center of the Eastern Mediterranean, played a pivotal role in the thriving trading network of the 2nd millennium BCE. The discovery of distinctive Middle Cypriot White Painted jugs and juglets in the Levant and Egypt provides evidence of early trading connections between Cyprus and these regions. In response to the influx of these new ceramic forms and decorative motifs, Levantine and Egyptian potters began creating imitations, displaying a keen interest in these imported styles. During the Late Bronze Age, the diversification of Cypriot ceramic imports prompted not only the creation of imitations, but also the emergence of “entangled” jugs that combined local and Cypriot features. The creation of these hybrid artifacts suggests that the imported Cypriot ceramics had acquired a specific cultural value, and the new forms were likely intended to meet the tastes of Levantine and Egyptian inhabitants, rather than to replace the Cypriot imports. Furthermore, the popularity of Late Cypriot craftsmanship facilitated the transposition of Cypriot shapes into other raw materials, faience, glass and stone. This presentation will investigate the process of cultural entanglement between Cyprus, Egypt, and the Levant, revealing distinct patterns in the choice of imitated features that appear to have been conditioned by the specific tastes of the producing societies. While the presence of imports provides insights into trading relations and social practices, the development of imitations and transpositions offers a more complex picture of the multifaceted cultural interactions that took place across the Eastern Mediterranean during the 2nd millennium BCE.