Case
21 - Cyprus: The Bottom and Late Bronze Ages
The
bottom Bronze Age, or bottom Cypriot follows in
an unbroken sequence from the Early Cypriot Bronze
Age and its beginning is defined by the appearance
of White Painted II Ware. The period is divided
into three phases each lasting about 100 years.
The island was widely inhabited, but suffered
internal conflicts the result of enmity between
the west which controlled the copper and east
with the good arable land.
Foreign
relations developed in MC II with copper the main
export and by MC III Lapethos and Kalopsidha decline
in importance and the harbour town of Enkomi becomes
a major port for trade.
The
characteristic pottery of bottom Cypriot is Red
Polished and Black Polished Wares particularly
in MC I along with White Painted, Red-on-Black,
Red-on-Red, and Black Slips Wares appearing in
the other phases.
The
Late Bronze Age or Late Cypriot is also divided
into three phases, each of about 200 years and
it was in this period that complete cultural uniformity
was achieved in the island. There was increasing
prosperity due to the export of copper and pottery
along with a great expansion in the population
due in part to the immigration of Mycenaeans from
Greece. These people brought new techniques and
this can be seen in the silver, gold and bronze
artifacts - particularly burial ornaments, jewellery
and ornamental bowls, The chief local pottery
of the Late Cypriot period is White Slip Ware
with painted black or brown decoration and Base
Ring Ware, with Bucchero Ware being introduced
from the west at the end of the period.
Case
22 - Cyprus: The Iron Age to the Roman Period
The
Iron Age in Cyprus starts with the Cypro-Geometric
Period (1050 - 750 B.C. ) which saw a cultural
decline from the Late Bronze Age due to wandering
raiders causing trade disruptions. The period
is characterised by the use of iron, increasing
Cypriot features in the pottery styles with geometric
motifs on White Painted Ware, Black-on-Red Ware
and Bichrome Ware. The Cypro-Archaic Period (750-474
B.C.) was one of changing domination by foreign
overlords, but the culture remained basically
Greek. Pottery styles of the previous period continue
but the appearance of pictorial designs of animals
and flowers in a free-field composition are characteristic
of this time.
Case
23 - Cyprus: Medieval Pottery Technology
This
display shows a selection of pottery, dating from
the 13th-16th centuries A.D., made in Cyprus in
the eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus was an important
cultural cross-roads between East and West and
this is reflected in the technical quality of
the pottery shown here. It is richly decorated
glazed earthenware and 'stoneware', that is superior
in quality to much of the pottery being made at
that time in Western Europe. Of particular interest
is the 'sgraffiato' decoration on some of these
pots. This was done by scratching the decoration
through a surface coating known as a 'slip', before
the glaze was applied.
Case
24 - The Americas
This
display is still undergoing development and the
present arrangement should be regarded as a temporary
one. In the future we hope to have further artifacts
representing other South American cultures and
in addition material representing cultures in
Middle and North America.
The
two vases come from coastal-dwelling Indians in
the South of Peru, and possibly belong to the
Paracas Culture, these artifacts dating from 150
to 50 B.C.
All
the pictures show artifacts from the Mochica Culture
in the northern coastal region of Peru and date
from about A.D. 100 to 800.
Case
25 - African Archaeology
This
display is still in the course of development
and will contain material representing different
cultures in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa.
Proposed themes are:-
- The
Islamic Culture in Egypt represented by material
from Fustat the first centre set up by Amr ibn
el-As who conquered Egypt in 639-42. The artifacts
from Fustat range in age from A.D. 1100 to A.D.
1800.
- The
X Group and Early Christian cultures of the
late first and early second millennium A.D.
represented by material from Qasr Ibrim, a fortified
settlement on the east bank of the Nile downstream
from Abu Simbel.
- The
culture that gave rise to the Kingdom of Bunyoro,
one of the interlacustrine states of East Central
Africa that developed over the last 1000years.
- The
African city at Zimbabwe dating from about A.D.1250
to 1450 and the smaller settlement at Manikweni
in Mozambique.
- Nigerian
early cultures such as at Nok between 500 B.C.
and A.D. 200, and at Benin A.D. 1400-1600 which
is well known for its bronze work.
- In
West Africa the cultural sequences at Jenne-Jeno
in Mali show development from 250 B.C. to A.D.
1000 with abandonment about A.D. 1400.
Case
26 - South East Asia: The Ceramic Trade Route
A.D. 900 - A.D. 1400
Chinese
ceramic products were traded overseas from A.D.
900 to A.D. 1400 and at the end of the 11th century
were China's leading export article, getting to
Egypt, Iran and the East African coast. The Chinese
government imposed restrictions at the end of
the 14th century (Ming Dynasty), and the arrival
of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean from 1498
affected its organization globally and definitively.
The examples shown here come from the Philippines
and many have been found in the islands of Panay
and Mindanao where they were included in human
burials. The Philippines being relatively close
to China, the trading of pottery products continued
into the Ch'ing Dynasty.
Case
26a - Asian Archaeology
Case
27 - Ancient Coin Collection
The
first section covers ancient Greek coins from
Greece and Greek colonies in Italy and South West
Asia, ranging in age from 530 B.C. to 168B.C.
Of particular interest would be the tetradrachms
from Athens with owl, Syracuse with dolphins and
Macedonia with Herakles.
The
next section covers the Roman Republican Period
with all the coins silver denarii produced by
various moneyers among them Julius Caesar.
The
Early Roman Imperial Period has some coins of
interest ie. Augustus the first emperor, Tiberius
here represented by the so called 'Tribute penny',
and two bronze coins of Nero. The Middle Imperial
Period shows more bronze coinage including provincial
coins from Alexandria with Greek inscriptions.
During imperial times there was inflation and
debasing of the coinage and towards the end of
this period Diocletian introduced monetary reforms.
The Late Imperial Period saw further monetary
changes by Constantine the Great and is largely
represented by smaller bronze coins extending
to the time when the Roman Empire was divided
into East and West.
The
last section covers the Byzantine Period from
A.D. 527 to A.D. 1071 and is represented by copper
coins of various denominations. In the early years
the Roman influence is still strong and inscriptions
tend to be in Latin, but with time are replaced
by Greek.
Coins
may also be displayed in other cases where appropriate
and we have others in storage.
Case
28 - Recent Acquisitions and Temporary Displays
Case
29 - Greek Colonial Life 2500 Years Ago
Case
30 - Cypriot Medieval Pottery |
