The Söderberge expedition: the economic center of a Bronze Age city

The 2010-2018 excavations of the Söderberg Expedition have been carried out in Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus, which, with a size of 50 hectares, was one of the largest Bronze Age cities in the Mediterranean. The results of the excavations are now published in book form (Åströms förlag, Uppsala, 2018). The findings have attracted considerable international interest (TV, radio and newspapers). Geophysical prospecting in 2017-2018 led to the discovery of the largest continuous urban block to date (at least 120×100 m): a rectangular street system leading to the nearby harbor connects massive stone buildings. Their size suggests that they fulfilled a function as administrative complexes. Test excavations in 2018 uncovered a bathroom with an advanced hydrological construction and a 20 m long corridor with a large number of 1-2 m high ceramic vessels for olive oil, wine and water. Purple paint, one of the most expensive products of the time, was also stored there. The finds indicate that the economic heart of the city has been found. Trade was the backbone of the city's economy and was based on locally produced copper and purple cloth and access to the most protected port in Cyprus. Imports point to trade with Egypt, the Levant, Anatolia, Greece/Crete, Italy and central and northern Europe in the period 1600-1100 BC. Cypriot copper was found in e.g. Sweden and Denmark during the Bronze Age. The expedition now plans to excavate some of the buildings to study the city's economic system and trade with other cultures.