Cyprus
The island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean was famous in
antiquity for its copper mines, fine craftsmanship and luxury
goods, and, perhaps most of all, as the birthplace of the Goddess
Aphrodite in Greek mythology.
The British Museum holds one of the largest collections of
ancient Cypriot objects outside of Cyprus. It illustrates the
development of the island from a society of small villages to the
rise of urban civilisation between 4000 BC and 1200 BC. By
this time, Cyprus was a major source of vital raw materials
(especially copper, timber and later iron) and a major trading and
industrial centre in close contact with surrounding
powers.
The galleries also highlight the diverse, multi-cultural nature
of the island in the succeeding Iron Age (1000 BC-300 BC): Greeks,
Phoenicians and others lived alongside and traded with the local
population, shown by inscriptions, imported objects and local
imitations. We see a richly textured material culture drawing on
its connections with neighbouring areas but also preserving its
unique Cypriot character.
This wealthy and strategic island became a central part of the
Greek world during the Hellenistic period (300 BC-50 BC). Cult
items in particular show the rapid Hellenisation of the population
as familiar images of Greek gods and goddesses appear. Later, it
enjoyed the economic benefits of the Roman Empire; the objects of
this period show a typical, prosperous Roman province.
The arrival of St. Paul and St. Barnabas in AD 45 marked
the beginning of the later Christian and Byzantine culture of
Cyprus.
Image caption: Limestone statue of a
female worshipper playing a lyre
Hellenistic Cypriot, about 300-280 BC. From Larnaca, Cyprus