The present thesis provides a methodological examination of Pyla-Kokkinokremos and Maa-Palaeokastro, two settlement-sites that were established in Cyprus during the transition from the Late Cypriot IIC (roughly the thirteenth century BC) to the Late Cypriot IIIA (roughly the twelfth century BC). These two settlements were extremely short-lived and persisted for merely a couple of generations before their eventual abandonment. The period under consideration is often referred to as the “Crisis Years”, and marks a time when the politically and economically powerful land-based polities of the eastern Mediterranean were brought to an end. The foundation of Pyla-Kokkinokremos and Maa-Palaeokastro coincides with these critical years for the eastern Mediterranean and the upheaval of the settlement pattern of Cyprus. Since their excavation, the two sites have been considered as two very controversial and intriguing phenomena. Their selected position on top of naturally fortified locations and the marked absence of perennial water sources in their vicinity suggested that they were established in order to fulfil a special purpose. The original suggestion put forward by the excavator that Pyla-Kokkinokremos and Maa-Palaeokastro represent the earliest establishments of refugees fleeing from the Aegean following the palatial collapse has been questioned by a number of scholars, who insist on the Cypriot character of the two sites, and therefore consider them as outposts established by local populations. This dissertation provides a re-examination of the topographical setting of the two settlements, their architectural characteristics and their material culture, mostly pottery, aiming to determine the series of events that led to their establishment, as well as the roles and functions fulfilled by the two sites. The objective of this study is not exclusively concerned with the detailed presentation of excavated architectural and artefactual remains from Pyla-Kokkinokremos and Maa-Palaeokastro. In extent, the aims of this thesis are to define the character of Cyprus during the years marking the transition from the thirteenth to the twelfth century BC, and examine transformations in the settlement pattern of the island, its socio-political landscape and provide a holistic approach of its material culture.

What is considered anomalous among the Late Bronze/Iron I Age Canaanite tomb plans rests on the understanding of the foreign and the local elements of interments of that period. When Diane Bolger, in her discussion of ancient Cypriot mortuary practices, noted the shift in the scholarly literature from the emphasis on the identity and status of the dead to an examination of the ways in which rituals of death and burial reveal the motives and identities of the living (Bolger 2003), her observation highlighted the importance of burial as a process rather than an event. <p>The phenomenon of burials in loculi chamber tombs during the transitional period of the end of the Late Bronze and beginning of the Early Iron Age is explored, building on the foundations established by Rivka Gonens work on Late Bronze burial behaviour in Canaan (Gonen 1992). The structural and ritual characteristics of the tombs that present evidence for cultural context and origins are considered, establishing whether the archaeological remains translate into a picture of a regional variation or a foreign influence. Are the Late Bronze/Iron I burials in Canaan examples of an amalgamation of cultural traits of variable geographical origins or did they represent an immigration of a mortuary custom? Why are loculi cave burials considered intrusive in the Canaanite territory?<p>The examination of Tell Dothan, Lachish, Tell el-Ajjul and Megiddo, and of the Cypriot sites of Ayios Iakovos Melia, Lapithos Vrysi tou Barba, Korovia Paleoskoutella and Dhenia Kafkalla facilitates the discussion of loculi chamber tomb plan interments in the Levant have prompted.

What is considered anomalous among the Late Bronze/Iron I Age Canaanite tomb plans rests on the understanding of the foreign and the local elements of interments of that period. When Diane Bolger, in her discussion of ancient Cypriot mortuary practices, noted the shift in the scholarly literature from the emphasis on the identity and status of the dead to an examination of the ways in which rituals of death and burial reveal the motives and identities of the living (Bolger 2003), her observation highlighted the importance of burial as a process rather than an event. <p>The phenomenon of burials in loculi chamber tombs during the transitional period of the end of the Late Bronze and beginning of the Early Iron Age is explored, building on the foundations established by Rivka Gonens work on Late Bronze burial behaviour in Canaan (Gonen 1992). The structural and ritual characteristics of the tombs that present evidence for cultural context and origins are considered, establishing whether the archaeological remains translate into a picture of a regional variation or a foreign influence. Are the Late Bronze/Iron I burials in Canaan examples of an amalgamation of cultural traits of variable geographical origins or did they represent an immigration of a mortuary custom? Why are loculi cave burials considered intrusive in the Canaanite territory?<p>The examination of Tell Dothan, Lachish, Tell el-Ajjul and Megiddo, and of the Cypriot sites of Ayios Iakovos Melia, Lapithos Vrysi tou Barba, Korovia Paleoskoutella and Dhenia Kafkalla facilitates the discussion of loculi chamber tomb plan interments in the Levant have prompted.

The material culture of Late Bronze Age Shechem (Tell Balatâh) provides an opportunity to assess the nature and extent of the Egyptian imperial presence in the Central Highlands, as well as the ways in which endogenous cultural traits endured during a period of intensifying military presence. While scholars have yet to fully agree on the exact nature of Egyptian imperialism, most concur that contact with Egypt had a profound impact on the political, economic and social institutions of the southern Levant. The analysis of ceramics at Shechem reveals continuity in settlement, ceramic morphology and technology throughout the Late Bronze period. These findings contribute to an expanding corpus of ceramic studies, which indicate that a complex interaction and negotiation of cultural boundaries existed during this imperial period. While there was not a sustained Egyptian presence in the Central Hill Country, textual and archaeological data suggest there was limited interaction. While more is known about how this imperial presence was manifested architecturally in the form of “governor residencies” and “trading entropôts,” recent investigations at coastal and inland sites reveal that the interaction between Egyptian and Canaanite ceramic technology was site-specific and reciprocal in nature. The Shechem ceramic analysis illustrates the tenacity with which potters retained Canaanite traditions at this Central Hill Country site during a period of sporadic Egyptian contact.

The material culture of Late Bronze Age Shechem (Tell Balatâh) provides an opportunity to assess the nature and extent of the Egyptian imperial presence in the Central Highlands, as well as the ways in which endogenous cultural traits endured during a period of intensifying military presence. While scholars have yet to fully agree on the exact nature of Egyptian imperialism, most concur that contact with Egypt had a profound impact on the political, economic and social institutions of the southern Levant. The analysis of ceramics at Shechem reveals continuity in settlement, ceramic morphology and technology throughout the Late Bronze period. These findings contribute to an expanding corpus of ceramic studies, which indicate that a complex interaction and negotiation of cultural boundaries existed during this imperial period. While there was not a sustained Egyptian presence in the Central Hill Country, textual and archaeological data suggest there was limited interaction. While more is known about how this imperial presence was manifested architecturally in the form of “governor residencies” and “trading entropôts,” recent investigations at coastal and inland sites reveal that the interaction between Egyptian and Canaanite ceramic technology was site-specific and reciprocal in nature. The Shechem ceramic analysis illustrates the tenacity with which potters retained Canaanite traditions at this Central Hill Country site during a period of sporadic Egyptian contact.

Yes / Many hundreds of Bronze Age bronze artefacts are known from excavations in Switzerland, yet the interpretation of production networks from the object find locations remain problematic. It is proposed that the decorative elements used on items, such as ring-jewellery, can be used as elements to assist in the identification of artisanal traditions and ‘schools’, and also regional or community preference and selection of specific designs. Combining the analysis of over 1700 items of ring-jewellery from Switzerland with approaches from network science has facilitated the identification of regional clustering of design elements, comparable with cultural typologies in the area. It is also possible to identify potential instances of cultural differentiation through decoration within the broader regional cultural traditions. The study highlights important facets of bronzework production in the region of Switzerland, while also demonstrating future potential directions which could build upon the European wide dataset of prehistoric bronzework. / Primary research conducted under previous funding at University of Basel, Switzerland – SNF grant

No / Studies of Late Bronze Age exchange and communication networks in the northern Circum-Alpine region, and central Europe as a whole, have typically focused on routes across the Alps and the circulation of high-value manufactured goods from the Italian peninsula to central Europe. Some artefacts certainly support such a movement from north to south, such as amber from the north or Pfahlbauperlen from the Po Plain. However, such objects are far outweighed by the evidence for regional exchange routes in central Europe north of the Alps. Some of these routes extended as far as northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. Whether such exchange routes were direct or down-the-line is open to debate, but it is possible that specific objects known from Switzerland represent the personal possessions of migrant individuals. Over all, it is evident that Late Bronze Age lake-dwelling communities in Switzerland were significant bronze work manufacturing centres, exporting goods to varied communities and regions across central Europe, but with potentially limited exchange, transfer, and cross fertilization of styles and equipment between eastern and western Switzerland.

The mysterious Sea Peoples are groups thought to have entered the Orient towards the end of the Late Bronze Age time period. Their impact on the region was seemingly influential and one of the contributing factors leading to the decline of the societal status quo in the region leading up to 1200 BCE. Their origins, cultural identity and long term impact on the area are all factors which have been difficult and complex to research. The challenges with regard to these peoples and any research concentrated upon them include a definitive lack of physical evidence of their material culture, specifically in the northern regions thought to have been inhabited by them. Further south the situation differs slightly as the Philistines (thought to be a Sea Peoples group) did settle into a sophisticated society with material remains to prove it. In the north however, Sea Peoples are known to have settled but their impact is less clear but not necessarily non-existent in all regards. The Phoenicians as an Iron Age civilisation date back to the transitional period of 1200 BCE (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age) and have often been regarded as simply the cultural descendants of the Late Bronze Age Canaanites. This is true in many ways but in certain instances the Phoenicians achieved feats and undertook cultural practices that may diverge from this idea of complete continuity. In terms of maritime activity, the Phoenicians were able to accomplish feats never before seen in the region. The time period in which these maritime activities started to take place on such an expansive level corresponds with the settlement of northern Sea Peoples in Phoenicia and just outside its southern borders. Although the physical evidence regarding these Sea Peoples is by no means available in abundance, perhaps one can find their impact in the cultural makeup and actions of the Phoenicians. It may be plausible that groups of people that had such a significant influence on an area through their migrations, as the Sea Peoples did, could have had more long term influences on the occupants of the area than has been credited to them before. One possible manifestation of this influence may be the unique maritime character of the Phoenicians which can be compared with the Sea Peoples, who have not been given their name coincidentally. Their affinity to the sea is well known through textual and pictographic records and can in some instances be favourably paralleled with the Phoenicians. Ship design alterations going into the Phoenician age is possibly, at least in part, due to Sea Peoples influence. Furthermore the actual undertaking of Phoenician expansion across the sea and following early forms of maritime expansion which was, to a degree, unknown in the area before seems to have started in a time period contemporaneous with Sea Peoples settling in Canaan. Apart from the settlement in itself, these peoples did so after migrating en masse across the Mediterranean and this must surely be worthy of additional attention. The Sea Peoples’ constant affiliation with all things ship and sea orientated must add some impetus 9 to this argument. Any other similarities between the Sea Peoples and Phoenicians can also be used as an indicator of cultural mergence. Cultural and societal divergences uncovered between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age inhabitants also may illuminate ideas of decisive outside influences after 1200 BCE. The primary thread of this research is dedicated to dealing with the possibilities mentioned and perhaps presenting alternative theories to those currently accepted. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Ancient Languages / unrestricted

The thesis presents the results of evaluation of archaeological finds from the two settlements in Písek (site "nemocnice") and Topělec. Both settlements are dated to the Late Bronze Age. With respect to the fact that only Late Bronze Age sites of smaller extent have been evaluated and published in South Bohemia so far, the studied settlements offer a more complex view on the composition of ceramic finds in this period and region. Both sites provide ceramic finds analogous to those from Central and Wes Bohemia, however, they do not differ significantly from other South Bohemian sites.

Cette recherche doctorale repose sur l’analyse des collections archéologiques de la nécropole de Koban, découvertes par Ernest Chantre, actuellement conservées au musée d'archéologie nationale de Saint-Germain en Laye et au musée des Confluences à Lyon. La nécropole de Koban située dans le Nord Caucase fût découverte par Ernest Chantre en 1881. Le site de Koban a donné son nom à l’une des cultures du Bronze récent et du premier âge du Fer du Nord Caucase. Cette thèse porte sur l’ensemble des objets mis au jour à Koban, publiés et non publiés. Par une analyse systématique innovante, cette recherche a permis d’élaborer une classification typologique. Ces données ont été comparées avec du matériel provenant d’autres régions du Caucase. Cetteanalyse des objets a notamment permis de comprendre l’environnement culturel de la nécropole de Koban soulignant ainsi des influences d’autres régions du Caucase – Colchis and Shida Kartli. L’une des composantes majeures de cette recherche est la reconstruction des assemblages funéraires de Koban, qui montrent des aspects inconnus à ce jour. De nouvelles datations radiocarbones réalisées sur la tombe 9 nous ont également permis de réexaminer de façon extensive la chronologie de la nécropole de Koban / This work examines Ernest Chantre’s archaeological collections from the Koban necropolis, stored at the National Archaeological Museum of France, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Confluences Museum in Lyon. The Koban necropolis, which was excavated by Chantre in 1881, is located in the North Caucasus. It has given its name to one of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age cultures of the Caucasus.This dissertation brings to light Koban objects, both published and unpublished, and organizes themin a systematic fashion. Typological classification of each group of objects is examined andpresented. These data are then compared with materials from other parts of the Caucasus. The focus of the research determines the cultural environment of the Koban necropolis in the Caucasus region, as objects from this site reflect certain characteristic features of different regions of the Caucasus such as Colchis and Shida Kartli.One of the main components of this dissertation is the reconstruction of Koban funeral assemblages.These are presented differently here than has previously been done. Along with presenting the assemblages, radiocarbon data is also presented from grave no. 9, which enables us to re-examine, to an extent, the chronology of Koban necropolis.