Santander, February 19th-22nd 2008 - Aranzadi

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ALFREDO CARANNANTE
The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge
of the marine organisms exploitation in
Bronze Age Cyprus and to show how archaeomalacology
can contribute to the reconstruction of the
prehistoric cultures.
2. THE SITE OF PYRGOS-MAVRORAKI
Pyrgos-Mavroraki is one of the most interesting
discoveries in recent Cypriot archaeology.
The site is situated 8 kilometres from the
ancient city of Amathus (Amathous, Amathount or
Amathunte) and about 4 kilometres from the southern
coast of Cyprus (Fig. 1).
Figure 2. Plan of the Pyrgos-Mavroraki excavated area with the rooms
devoted to metallurgy, oil production and storing, perfume production and
weaving (from Belgiorno 2007, modified).
Figure 1. Map of Cyprus with the location of the Bronze Age sites mentioned
in the text.
The excavation of the site started in 1998 and
continues to bring to light a unique Bronze Age
industrial complex.
The first occupation of the site is probably
dated to the end of the Chalcolithic period. In the
Early and Middle Bronze Age, Pyrgos covered
more than 25 hectares (Belgiorno 2004).
The settlement was destroyed in the first half of
the 19 th century BC (Middle Bronze Age) by a sudden
and violent earthquake that preserved in situ
most of the domestic objects under the collapse of
the mud brick structures (Belgiorno 2004: 22).
The importance of the site consists not only of
the fact that it is a rare industrial complex, but also
its archaeological integrity which has supplied precious
documents to reconstruct the most ancient
Mediterranean industrial system.
The area excavated to date consists of several
rooms (Fig. 2).
A large olive press for oil production stood in
the centre of one of these rooms dividing it into two
different areas (Belgiorno 2004, 2005). The western
area was utilized as an oil jar storeroom and
housed nine giant pithos-jars with a total capacity
of several thousands litres; while the eastern one
was utilized as a perfume factory. Many vases and
stone tools connected to all the processes of perfume
production (in which olive oil had a central
role) were found in this last area and analyzed in
order to identify attars and essences used in
ancient perfumery (see: Belgiorno 2005, 2007).
Oil and olive waste were not only used in the
perfume industry but also as fuel for intensive
metallurgical activities as attested in the rooms
(Fig. 2) that surround the “oil room” on three sides
(Belgiorno 2004). All the phases of copper processing
-from ore smelting to copper alloy melting
and to the final refining of metal objects- are attested
in those metallurgical areas of the complex
(Belgiorno 2004, Giardino 2004).
A stove still filled with half-baked loom weights
was found near the furnaces in the southernmost
excavated point of the “metallurgical area”.
The westernmost room of the excavation seems
to have been devoted to the weaving industry. The
remains of a complete loom were found in this room
together with many vases, loom weights and spindle
whorls still containing textile fibres remains, the
analysis of which revealed the yarns and the dyes
used at Pyrgos in the Bronze Age (Belgiorno 2004,
Lentini 2004). Oil was also used for spinning activities
in the weaving industry room.
MUNIBE Suplemento - Gehigarria 31, 2010
S.C. Aranzadi. Z.E. Donostia/San Sebastián