One of the most important centers of copper trade was the ancient community of Hala Sultan Tekke in the province of Larnaca during the Late Bronze Age, according to recent research by the University of Gothenburg.
According to a study that published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the community's strategic location and abundant copper reserves made it an important trading hub during the initial period of international trade in the Mediterranean, 1500–1150 BC.
Excavations have revealed that the village was larger than previously thought, covering an area of between 25 and 50 hectares, while archaeological findings found in the area, such as smelting furnaces, casting molds and slag heaps, are evidence of heavy copper production.
“The ore from which the copper was extracted was transported to the city from the mines of the nearby Troodos mountain range,” said the head of the excavations, Peter Fischer.
The researchers also discovered large quantities of imported pottery as well as luxury items made of gold, silver, ivory and semi-precious stones – findings that prove that the copper produced by the community was in high demand.
The recent discovery reinforces the belief that Cyprus – which has a long history of mining activity going back at least 5 thousand years – was one of the most important centers of copper production in the world. The red metal played a decisive role in the progress of humanity, while its contribution to the technological development of the Mediterranean and by extension the world was important.
“The findings of the research team, as well as the discovery of the wreck of the Ulu Burun, which carried over ten tons of copper from Cyprus when it sank off the southwestern coast of Turkey at the end of the 14th century BC, confirm the role of Cyprus as an important copper-producing country, especially during the Late Bronze Age,” said Dr. Dimitris Konstantinidis, economic geologist and member of the Board of Directors of the Cypriot mining company Venus Minerals.
The history of Cyprus is intertwined with the country's mining and especially the copper reserves it possessed, from the Chalcolithic period (3900–2500 BC). As is well known, the island gave the metal its Latin name (cuprum). Copper was mined in various areas of the island, such as Mitsero and Agrokipia, communities that belonged to the ancient city-kingdom of Tamassos.
Venus Minerals is a protagonist in the revival of the remarkable Cypriot mining tradition. The Company currently manages a portfolio of exploration projects in the Troodos region, while it will participate in the development of Cyprus' first new copper mine since the early 1990s, located in Apliki. Cyprus also has significant untapped deposits of mineral raw materials, which can be recovered from mining waste left behind by older mining companies, which ceased operations after the invasion.
“Using efficient and environmentally friendly environmental technologies, modern mining companies can recover these deposits in an environmentally safe and responsible way, while strengthening the effort to restore the abandoned mines located in various parts of the island”, added Mr. Konstantinidis.
