Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

argues that for both of the types “nothing in Egypt can be dated earlier than examples in
the eastern Mediterranean, and those in Egypt are objectively later. The “turned back”
examples are certainly more plentiful outside Egypt, and their vibrant style is more at
home in the Levant,” thus declaring the two types as Canaanite. The tomb of Kenamun
(Dynasty 18, from the time of Amenhotep II) depicts a back-turned head duck container,
but this should be interpreted as a Syrian import or Egyptian-made in a Syrian style,
possibly by a Canaanite ivory-worker (Lilyquist 1998: 27, 30). Liebowitz (1987: 14)
agrees, saying “the type does not appear to have been typical of Egypt” and are not
present before the 18 th Dynasty.
Ivory Workshops in Cyprus
Cyprus enjoyed a thriving ivory-working tradition, as discussed in Chapters Three
and Four with the discussion of hippopotamus and elephant faunal material. But Cyprus
was home to neither of these animals, and consequently had to import the ivory, and
sometimes subsequently export it as well. Alašia, commonly regarded as Cyprus, is
recorded as sending ivory or ivory objects to Egypt (EA 40), probably as some sort of
gift-exchange between rulers. (Hayward 1990: 104; Bass 1997: 160; Krzyszkowska
1990: 19, 29).
Much of the ivory from Cyprus is hippopotamus and dates to Late Cypriot II-III
(c. 1450-1050 B.C.) and common objects in the LC III include boxes, handles, and
mirrors (Reese 1998: 140,142; Karageorghis et al. 2000). Like the Aegean, and unlike
Palestine, there is much evidence for ivory carving on the island, principally at Hala
Sultan Tekke, Kition, Palaepaphos (Kouklia), and Enkomi (Reese 1998: 142; Åström
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