Ancient Cyprus at the British Museum

From the Preface: "Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean. It was famous in antiquity for its copper mines, fine craftsmanship and luxury goods, and, perhaps most of all, as the birthplace of the Goddess Aphrodite in Greek mythology. For much of its long history, and indeed down to modern times, Cyprus has played a central role in the complex political and economic relationships of the eastern Mediterranean area, both as a source of raw materials and manufactured goods, but also as a point of contact between the diverse populations of the entire region. This is reflected in the richly textured archaeological record of the island. Beginning with the database of 1,800 items from the important Late Bronze Age cemetery and settlement site of Enkomi (around 1650 BC-1050 BC) completed by Dr Lindy Crewe, this online research catalogue aims to provide a detailed and fully illustrated database of the entire Cypriot collection, together with essays outlining the history and archaeological development of the sites represented in the British Museum.Over time this catalogue will grow as bodies of material from other sites are added, along with additional information to help the reader understand the archaeology of the island. The entire Cyprus collection can already be browsed in the Museum's online collections database, though please note that many of the entries contain only basic information and will be updated in due course. The information in the catalogue, however, reflects the latest academic scholarship on the subject. Our aim is to keep this catalogue updated on a regular basis. We welcome contributions from researchers who would like to present further information on any of the objects or materials in the collection."