Axe

Bronze axe from a grave in Lemba (Paphos region). It dates to the early phase of the Early Bronze Age (2500-2400 BC), a period of significant changes in the material culture of Cyprus, possible related to small scale migrations from southwestern Anatolia. Metal axes bear clear evidence for the introduction of copper-technology in the island. They appear at the same time as the pottery style which is associated with the so-called Philia culture. Cyprus was rich in copper and quickly developed its own tradition in metallurgy. By the 14th c BC it was a major centre of copper production and exported both raw copper and finished artifacts all over the Eastern Mediterranean.