Ancient jewellery finds reveal trade, craftsmanship and status in Cyprus

Larnaca, Cyprus. A tomb discovered in 1998 in ancient Kition contained an exceptional collection of gold jewellery dating to around the end of the eighth century BC. The finds offer a glimpse of adornment and status in Cyprus nearly 3,000 years ago.

A richly furnished tomb

The jewellery included earrings, bracelets, rings, a necklace and a fibula, or brooch. Some pieces were decorated with semi-precious stones. One bracelet combined tiny gold granules with an agate reminiscent of the Egyptian Eye of Horus.

Archaeologists Pavlos Flourentzos and Maria Luisa Vitobello, who studied the finds, proposed that the person buried in the tomb belonged to Kition’s Phoenician upper classes, possibly even its royal family.

From local stone to precious metals

Jewellery had been worn in Cyprus for thousands of years before gold appeared. During the Chalcolithic period, from around 3900 BC to 2400 BC, people wore pendants carved from locally found picrolite, a soft green stone. Signs of prolonged use on some pendants suggest they were worn during life before being placed in graves.

Copper ornaments became more common by the Early Bronze Age. Finds from Sotira-Kaminoudhia include a pair of spiral earrings made from electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver. They are considered the earliest known examples of gold in Cyprus.

Over time, jewellery incorporated a wider range of materials and more complex workmanship. Gold, silver, glass, faience, ivory and semi-precious stones all appear in the archaeological record.

Trade and social status

Cyprus was a major producer and exporter of copper during the Late Bronze Age. Egyptian items and motifs found on the island sit alongside influences from the Aegean and Levant. Archaeological evidence suggests local artisans adapted foreign styles and techniques rather than necessarily reproducing them exactly.

Demetrios Michaelides, Emeritus Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Cyprus, said ancient jewellery can reveal “social status, technical knowledge and materials available”, including metals and precious stones brought to Cyprus from elsewhere.

What people wore also depended partly on what they could afford. According to Michaelides, wealthier people had access to gold, costly gems and enamel, while those with fewer means wore bronze and glass. For men, certain objects, including insignia and items used for sealing or stamping, could also be linked to authority.