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p;    Other sites in Cyprus were also significant in understanding the copper metallurgy. By the Late Cypriot period (c.1400-1100B.C.) many sites became wealthy regional centres; sites such as Enkomi, Hala Sultan Tekke, Kition and several other settlements. These cities were important in understanding trade, due to their contribution in copper production and export. These cities however, did not produce any documents involving trade like the palaces; a few Bronze Age inscriptions found called 'Cypro-Minoan'. These were undeciphered syllabic scripts which have been suggested to contain economic texts, votive inscriptions, or for instance the clay balls from Enkomi and Kition contained short legends. However a number of archaeologists believe that the function of these scripts is yet to be known. Nonetheless epigraphers suggested that these texts show signs from a Cypro-Minoan alphabet, which may be identified on trade items such as the Cypriot and Mycenaean pottery and a variety of oxhide ingots. This connection between the scripts and the goods has recently been well-established.

        As important as Cyprus was within the copper production, archaeologists struggled to uncover evidence for Bronze Age smelting activities. Virtually all the slag deposits discovered on the mining areas dated to periods after the Bronze Age. "While more evidence for Middle and Late Cypriot copper mining and metallurgical production is available today, unfortunately this evidence is generally fragmentary and difficult to interpret." (Jones, 2007, 6)

        Nonetheless, the led isotope analysis proved to be very successful and accurate, as it measured the stable isotopes of lead using a mass spectrometer in order to characterize particular samples. This method respectively measured the samples' radioactive concentration according to the geological age of the lead ores. This analysis would provide archaeologists with near-conclusive evidence that Cypriot copper was exported on a significant scale. The chemical and metallographic analysis show high quantities of pre copper within the oxhide ingots. This analysis suggests a high demand and production for copper in the Bronze Age.

        Another important aspect of Bronze Age trade were the shipwreck discoveries, especially those found at Uluburun and Cape Gelidonya. Each of these shipwrecks provide important information for the nature and organization of the copper trade within the period of 1300-1200B.C. The Uluburun and Cape Gelidonya cargoes contained the largest quantities of copper ingots, especially Uluburun which approximately contained over ten tons of copper and one ton of tin ingots. The three-hundred and fifty-four ingots found within this cargo exceed previous cargoes found on land and on underwater sites. Other significant goods found within the Uluburun cargo include a large number of glass ingots, about one ton of terebinth resin in Canaanite jars, Cypriot pottery in several pithoi, and a wide variety of luxury goods plus other items such as the personal possessions of the crew and passengers which bordered the ship. These goods were also noteworthy as they are an indication for directional trade; items such as the Nefertiti scarab.

On the other hand the Cape Gelidonya ship is significantly different. This complete excavation contained in its v本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。