The results have recently been released of excavations which were carried out earlier this year at the site of a Late Bronze Age harbour near Larnaca, in Cyprus. The head of the team was Professor Peter M Fischer of the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden.
     The harbour city was named Hala Sultan Tekke and is believed to date back to 1,400 to 1,300 BCE, with evidence of three layers of occupation, suggesting that the city had been razed twice and may have been even older. Important buildings were uncovered, together with fragments of pottery and the figurine of a female goddess. It is believed that the pottery was Mycenaean and other finds were of Egyptian origin. The origin of the figurine could not be determined but may have been produced locally, in the Egyptian style. Local White Slip pottery was also found, which would have been exported back to Greece and Egypt.
     Probably the most important find was that of a haematite cylinder of which Professor Fischer is quoted as saying "These are used as a kind of stamp and can be put in dye to make a print and it is also a kind of indentity card for a person". Professor Fischer is hoping to return to the site to further investigate the city foundations.

Edited from Cyprus Mail (5 August 2011)