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

18.10.2018
17:00 - 17:30
Opening and welcome addresses
17:30 - 18:30
Iron Age territories and the concept of territoriality
Oliver Nakoinz
18:30 - 20:00
Reception
19.10.2018
08:40 - 09:20
Communication networks in central Cyprus during the Cypro-Archaic period
Giorgos Georgiou
09:20 - 10:00
The topography of copper production in the Iron Age city kingdom of Idalion
Vasiliki Kassianidou
10:00 - 10:40
Defining the rural environs of ancient Idalion: a fuzzy landscape archaeological approach for determining Idalion´s resource potential
Will M. Kennedy
Daniel Knitter
10:40 - 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 - 11:40
The polity of Idalion: a constitutional government by king and polis?
Christian Körner
11:40 - 12:20
Idalion in its environment: settlement patterns in the Yialias river valley
Pamela Gaber
12:20 - 13:00
From survey chains to satellites: combining Idalion excavation maps from Ohnefalsch-Richter through the 21st century excavations
Valery Woelfel
13:00 - 14:20
lunch break
14:20 - 15:00
Max Ohnefalsch-Richter´s contribution to the topography of ancient Idalion
Stephan G. Schmid
15:00 - 15:40
A sanctuary of a female deity excavated by Max Ohnefalsch-Richter on the eastern acropolis of Idalion
Sophie Horacek
15:40 - 16:10
coffee break
16:10 - 16:50
The 'Temple of Aphrodite' – a temenos of a female deity near the Gialias river in Idalion
Angelika Walther
16:50 - 17:30
The excavations of Max Ohnefalsch-Richter in the necropoleis of Idalion
Caroline Huguenot
19:00 - 21:00
dinner for speakers
20.10.2018
09:00 - 09:40
Tamassos – the neighbour in the West
Matthias Recke
09:40 - 10:20
Kataliondas Kourvellos, a rural sanctuary between city-kingdoms
Julien Beck
Patrizia Birchler Emery
10:20 - 11:00
Organising the territory of a city-kingdom: the Kataliondas Kourvellos rural sanctuary in its local and regional context
Julien Beck
Patrizia Birchler Emery
Thea Christoforou
11:00 - 11:20
Coffee break
12:00 - 12:30
Final discussion