Briseis After Hand of Fire
One of these not-so-far-off days, I’ll write the follow up book to Hand of Fire, my novel set in the Trojan War with Briseis as the main character. Briseis disappears mythologically after the events of the Trojan War, which leaves where she goes and what she does delightfully open-ended for a fiction writer. “My” Briseis has some good reasons to go to the island of Cyprus. Those are mostly to do with the knowledge of metalworking she gained as a child. (That’s in my fictional character’s backstory, not the mythological tradition.) Cyprus was rich in copper, an essential resource during the Bronze Age, somewhat parallel to oil in the contemporary international scene.
My husband and I traveled to Cyprus with this in mind. It is one of the most enjoyable places to travel in the world. I didn’t realize then how long it would be before I’d get back to my Briseis. Since that trip, I have kept an ear open for the archaeological happenings on the island.
The Archaeological Site of Hala Sultan Tekke
One of the archaeological digs that we visited is referred to as Hala Sultan Tekke, named for the nearby mosque. It’s near what is now a salt lake and also beside the current main airport. So, not the most picturesque or inviting location. (Photo at top.) But in the Bronze Age, it was a thriving city on a beautiful bay of the Mediterranean Sea, not dusty or dry or noisy.
This year’s dig report includes lots of fun finds and information, all of it confirming that this just might be Briseis’ new home in my next novel. A university in Sweden conducts this ongoing dig. The day my husband and I visited, two young women were hard at work and chatted with us about that year’s excessive number of stone anchors and plain pot shards, while a wind whipped up the dust around them. Clearly things are looking up at Hala Sultan Tekke for the Swedish archaeology students.
Digging up the Dead
Archaeologists excavated some wealthy family tombs with a range of ages buried there.
They uncovered beautiful ceramics with geometric designs in what’s called white slip, as well as Egyptian alabaster jugs and scarabs, and other treasures from across the Mediterranean world. Cyprus was quite the international trade hotspot, facilitated by its rich copper mines and handy location.
What It Means at Hala Sultan Tekke
Here’s a summary of this year’s finds and their implications:
“The nature of the finds point to a wealthy Cypriot society which had established contacts with cultures all over the Mediterranean and beyond. The wealth of the inhabitants of Dromolaxia-Vyzakia was based on the production and export of copper, and far-reaching trade. This is substantiated by tons of copper slag and ore which was refined in intra-urban workshops.”
To Read More
You can read the full article about this year’s dig in Archaeology News Network, “Εxcavations At The Late Cypriot Harbour City Of Dromolaxia-Vyzakia.”
A website for the site under the auspices of the Austrian Archaeological Institute has overview information, as well.
Now I’m Hungry
Just thinking about that trip to Cyprus makes me hungry and nostalgic for lazy meals accompanied by ceramic pitchers of ridiculously good and inexpensive “house” wine. It didn’t matter where you were dining, the wine was outstanding. It’s lucky my own California garden is full of sweet tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs for a delicious Cypriote salad.
For my posts about our archaeological adventures in Cyprus: Part I, Part 2, Part 3