Cyprus and Egypt in the Late Bronze Age

Abstract

The socioeconomic and ideological transformations that characterize Late Bronze Age Cyprus have been linked to a major expansion in interconnections with the older cultures of ancient western Asia and Egypt. This study considers the likely impact of Egyptian symbolism and royal ideology on Cyprus, explicitly from a perspective that sees distance and access to 'exotic' goods as possible sources of elite power. Several gold, metal, faience, ivory and glyptic items– decorated with sphinxes, hieroglyphic signs, and other images– suggest a sophisticated manipulation of 'Oriental' ideologies of kingship and royal power.

DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v05i3_knapp