The administrative phenomenon and the political climate during the Late Bronze Age in Cyprus

The attempt to describe the administrative phenomenon (devices / techniques) in Late Bronze Age Cyprus is best made through a socio-economic approach to the subject and taking always into account the religious and political circumstances of the period.

Using as an example the Haghios Demetrios LCIIc settlement, the economy of which was principally based on copper, we can see the spread of its influence and importance in the southern area of the island. While the absence of copper continued to affect the development of other settlements, e.g. the Hala Sultan Tekke, other factors, such as proximity to the sea, became important. Consequently, the economy where an administrative system was established, depended on various external and internal factors, which were responsible for the flourishing or decline of a site.

Furthermore, observation of the excavation material enables us to make some suggestions regarding political and other phenomena, which during this crucial and decisive period of Cypriot history contributed to the formation of the island’s commercial and cultural relationship with its neighbours, including Mycenaean Greece and Crete.