The Topography of Ancient Idalion and its Territory

The question how to define the territory of the ancient city-states (city-kingdoms) of Iron Age Cyprus is a fascinating and difficult one. Recent research, including the use of “new” methods of landscape archaeology, but also reconsidering “old” evidence from a new perspective has given a fresh drive to tackle these questions.
Within the frame of a recently started research project, mainly focussing on the study and publication of Max Ohnefalsch-Richter´s activities in and around ancient Idalion, we would like to gather additional information as to the topography of the ancient city of Idalion and its hinterland. Research questions that could possibly be dealt with during the workshop include:

• new information on the location of settlements, necropoleis, sanctuaries etc. in the wider area of Idalion, their date, function etc.;
• continuity vs. discontinuity from the (later) Bronze to the Iron Age in the wider area of Idalion;
• the question of physical control of a territory and of pathways;
• reflections on the economic resources of ancient Idalion and how we can distinguish them from the resources of neighbouring polities;
• general reflections on the organisation and definition of the polity of ancient Idalion;
• historical and textual information on the topography and/or organisation of ancient Idalion;
• the possibility of defining regional specifiers in material culture of the later Bronze and the Iron Age;
• the question of defining the territory in respect to neighbouring territories (mainly, but not exclusively, of Kition and Tamassos);
• reflections on the general rural settlement pattern of ancient Idalion and how we can distinguish it from that of neighbouring polities

The workshop will allow for 30 minutes presentations, followed by a discussion of each paper (10 min.) and time for general discussion. The papers will be published in the series Studia Cyprologica Berolinensia. Contributions for both the workshop and the publication are required in English.

Program