| This study focuses on two classes of ancient artifacts pertaining to the Cypriot city-kingdoms, namely silver coinage and imported Greek pottery, and covers the period beginning with the late 6th century, when coinage was first employed on Cyprus, down to 332 B.C., when the island lost its autonomy to Macedonian control. Only finds from archaeological contexts such as published hoards and archaeological excavations are included in the coinage and ceramic catalogs. Material without archaeological provenance or from private and museum collections is in general excluded from the database. The conclusions derived from this research are based on statistical analysis of the numismatic and ceramic data, and in many instances serve to uphold the work of previous researchers who were compelled to rely on smaller sample sizes, extrapolation and intuition. Graphic analysis clearly demonstrates the movement of Greek pottery to Cyprus prior to, during and after the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, and prominently profiles what type of pottery was in transit and when. Pottery is classified by date and by site of origin, and the types of vessels are tabulated. Silver coinage is classified by mint, date, denomination and find site, and output correlated whenever possible with historical context. The movement of Cypriot coinage is also examined, and hoard composition analyzed in an attempt to delineate political and trade alliances. Foreign coins found with Cypriot examples are tabulated and assessed for distance traveled, and denominations of Cypriot coins employed both within the confines of the island and beyond are compiled to determine where and when large or small transactions predominated. A thorough metrological analysis of fraction weight coins gives perspective to the Meniko Hoard. The iconography of the coinage is reviewed, and both correlation analysis and the chi-square method are employed in an attempt to identify uncertain mints and shared trade routes. As economic indicators, Cypriot coinage and imported Greek pottery demonstrate considerable overlap, but do not necessarily run in tandem. The former is best connected to political or military prowess, whereas the latter is more indicative of distribution centers which are always associated with a major harbor. |
