Archaeologists in Cyprus have launched a new excavation season at one of the eastern Mediterranean’s most important Late Bronze Age harbor cities, aiming to shed new light on life, death, and trade during a period of intense maritime exchange.
The work is taking place at Dromolaxia–Vizakia, also known as Hala Sultan Tekke, near the modern city of Larnaca. The excavation is overseen by the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus under the Deputy Ministry of Culture. Peter M. Fischer, a professor at the University of Gothenburg, directs this season’s research.
A city shaped by geography and trade
Hala Sultan Tekke was founded around 1650–1630 B.C., during the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. Over time, it developed into a large urban center covering at least 25 hectares. The city flourished for nearly five centuries before it was destroyed and abandoned around 1150 B.C., a period marked by widespread upheaval across the eastern Mediterranean.
Its location on Cyprus’ southern coast gave it access to a well-protected harbor. From there, goods moved between the Aegean, Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt. Earlier excavations have revealed large quantities of imported pottery, metals, and luxury goods, indicating an economy based on long-distance maritime trade.
Focus shifts to the cemetery beyond the city walls
The 2025 excavation season focused on a cemetery outside the main urban area, known as Area A. The location was selected based on geophysical surveys and surface investigations that indicated buried structures linked to human activity.
Excavations uncovered several features affected by erosion and later agricultural use, including a long-abandoned well and two chamber tombs dating to the 14th century B.C. Researchers say these discoveries provide important evidence for understanding both daily life and ritual practice beyond the city walls.
Saline groundwater explains the abandoned well
A modern borehole drilled next to the ancient well revealed highly saline groundwater at a depth of about 10 meters, or 33 feet. Archaeologists say the poor water quality would have made the well unsuitable for use. This finding supports the conclusion that the structure was abandoned in antiquity, long before the city’s final destruction.
Collapsed tombs preserve rare burial evidence
The two-chamber tombs told a different story. Their roofs collapsed in ancient times, damaging some objects but sealing the chambers from later disturbance. This accidental sealing protected the burial contexts from looting and erosion.
Inside, archaeologists documented carefully arranged burials and associated grave goods. The preserved layout allows researchers to study how the dead were placed, which objects were included, and how funerary rituals were organized during the Late Bronze Age.
Imported goods reveal far-reaching connections
The tombs yielded a wide range of artifacts, including finely made local pottery, tools, and personal ornaments. Of particular importance was a rich assemblage of imported objects that reflects the city’s deep involvement in international trade.
Luxury pottery arrived from mainland Greece, including Berbati and Tiryns, as well as from Crete and other Aegean islands. Ivory objects and finely worked calcite vessels originated in Egypt. Even more distant connections were evident through lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, carnelian from western India, and amber from the Baltic region, some shaped into beads and a scarab.
Researchers say these materials could only have reached Cyprus through complex trade routes mediated by major Bronze Age cultures.
Copper production drives the city’s wealth
The prosperity of Hala Sultan Tekke was built on copper. Excavations across the city have revealed slag heaps, ores, furnaces, and crucibles, showing that large-scale metalworking took place within the urban center.
Raw copper from the Troodos Mountains was processed locally and exported through the harbor. Cypriot copper ingots, including the distinctive oxhide form, have been found as far away as Sardinia, highlighting the city’s central role in Mediterranean trade.
Tomb reuse reflects kinship and social structure
Stratigraphic evidence shows that the chamber tombs were reused over many generations. Older remains were carefully gathered and repositioned to make space for new burials, rather than being removed.
Researchers say this practice reflects strong kinship ties and long-term family continuity. Ongoing bioarchaeological work, including ancient DNA analysis, aims to clarify biological relationships, health, and lifestyle. Early results suggest low life expectancy, with few individuals living beyond the age of 40.
A cosmopolitan hub of the Bronze Age Mediterranean
Researchers say the discoveries reaffirm Hala Sultan Tekke’s importance as a major economic and cultural center of the Late Bronze Age. The quality and diversity of the grave goods suggest that many tombs belonged to elite families involved in copper exports and international trade.
Preferences for specific foreign objects in certain tombs may point to specialized trading roles or the presence of migrant communities. Together, the findings reinforce the image of Hala Sultan Tekke as a cosmopolitan harbor city at the heart of an interconnected Bronze Age Mediterranean world.
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