Wall Brackets, Deer Bones, and Sling Bullets Oh My! Excavating the Built Environment of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios
Isabelle Sauvé, 2023 Eric and Carol Meyers Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient
This report describes my participation in the fieldwork led by Dr. Kevin Fisher at the site of Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios on the island of Cyprus during the 2023 summer season. Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios is an urban center dating to the Late Cypriot (LC) II period (c. 1450-1200 BCE), reaching its peak in the Late Cypriot IIC before being abandoned. Previous investigations by Alison South from 1979-1998 revealed that this urban center was used for a multitude of both ritual and economic activities. The fieldwork undertaken this past summer was a continuation of excavations conducted by Dr. Kevin Fisher to the south-west of South’s original site.
A view of the Neolithic site of Tenta from our dig site.
Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios is one of the two main sites that are part of the Kalavasos and Maroni Built Environment Project (KAMBE). This project is an interdisciplinary investigation of the relationships between urban landscapes, social interaction, and social change on Cyprus during the Late Bronze Age. As a collaboration between the University of British Columbia, Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Southhampton, I had the opportunity to meet a number of scholars and students from these different institutions and make meaningful connections.
I was very grateful for the opportunity to join Dr. Kevin Fisher on this project since my research interests include the study of built environments in the Mediterranean Bronze Age. I was also especially thankful to join this dig as it was my first time excavating in the Mediterranean. Needless to say, I was super excited to start this new adventure!
During the field season, we stayed in the beautiful village of Kalavasos. Only a 10-minute drive away from the site, this little town was nestled in the hills and had amazing views of the surrounding scenery. Our team was fortunate enough to stay in tourist apartments that were so cozy and comfortable. Each night we would have dinner together at one of the local tavernas and get to try a variety of authentic Greek-Cypriot dishes. Everyone in Kalavasos was so friendly and welcoming, making my stay that much more special. It definitely helped me settle into my new surroundings for the month and ease my anxieties about being in a foreign place.
A picture from the streets of Kalavasos.
Even though we got to stay in luxurious accommodations, working in the field was not always so luxurious. We worked long hours in the dust and heat. A typical day included a 6:30 a.m. start, working until 9:30-10:00 a.m. and then having a 30-minute breakfast break. We then continued working until lunch time which was around 12:45-1:00 p.m. Luckily, we were spoiled by our directors and were given a 3-hour siesta period in the afternoon. Many of us would nap and lounge by the pool before going back into the field around 3:00 p.m. The day ended around 6:00-6:30 p.m. and we would come back to the village and have a nice dinner in the plateia.
Despite the long hours in the heat, I loved working in the field and had a chance to uncover so many interesting artifacts. I was working in Unit 7, which was a trench that had been opened in previous seasons. Here, another structure was uncovered and seemed to have been used for ritual activities. This trench yielded elite fine-ware pottery, large pithoi, and inscribed pottery. However, the most interesting finds this season were a wall bracket, deer bones, and hundreds of sling bullets. According to Dr. Fisher and colleagues, all these artifacts suggest ritual activity. Wall brackets are objects that consist of a long vertical shaft with a rounded top that is pierced by a suspension hole and a bowl at the bottom. These objects were likely used for lighting or burning incense and are found in cult, mortuary, and domestic contexts (Fisher et al. 2019). Likewise, the large deposit of deer bones points to ritual feasting as deer is rare in Late Cypriot diets and therefore points to a “luxury commodity” (Fisher et al. 2019: 487). The sling bullet deposit was the most interesting find in my opinion, where I spent hours carefully extracting hundreds of these ovoid, unfired clay objects from the ground. It is still unclear what their purpose in this context was, but they may have been deposited in this building as part of a ritual practice. Although I was tired, dirty, and hot at the end of the day, I was so happy to have gotten to dig and feel accomplished after each bucket of dirt that I filled.
Aphrodite’s Rock.
Yet, my time in Cyprus did not just involve dirt and trowels. I had the chance to see so many parts of the island thanks to the field trips that the directors organized. I got to lounge by the Mediterranean on the beach, go shopping in Nicosia, see Taming of the Shrew in the ancient amphitheatre at Kourion, and tour so many ancient and historic sites. My favorite memory is picnicking with new friends at Aphrodite’s Rock and listening to waves hit the shore.
Overall, this was an unforgettable experience where I got to learn new skills in the field, make meaningful connections, and see new things. I am grateful to Dr. Kevin Fisher and Sheri Pak for organizing this trip and to Dr. Eric and Dr. Carol Meyers for their generous scholarship. Without all your support, my participation in this project would not have been possible!
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Matthew J. Suriano is an Associate Professor in the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland where he teaches Hebrew Bible, ancient religions, and archaeology. A former fellow at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, Suriano has also participated in several archaeological excavations and surveys in Israel, most recently at Tel Burna. He has written extensively on death and burial in the ancient world, and his book A History of Death in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press, 2018) won the American Society for Overseas Research’s Frank Moore Cross Award. His research interests also involve Jerusalem and he is currently studying the monolithic tombs in Silwan.
Dr. Darren P. Ashby joined ASOR as ASOR CHI’s Programs Manager on March 1. He previously worked at ASOR from 2017 to 2019 where he reported on threats and damage to cultural heritage and led a project to document the current condition of Jewish cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria. In his new role, Darren will work with CHI leadership to support ongoing projects, strengthen relationships between ASOR’s members and partners, and further develop ASOR’s abilities to protect, preserve, and promote the rich cultural heritage of Southwest Asia and North Africa in collaboration with local communities, heritage professionals, and civil society organizations.
Regan Baker graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor’s of Art in Archaeology in May 2023. As an archaeology student, Regan quickly became familiar with ASOR, and she is excited to be coming on as the Office Coordinator. Previously, she interned at the Colosseum while studying abroad in Rome, Italy during the Fall 2022 semester. There, she worked in collections storage under the guidance of a supervising archaeologist and assisted with a project on marble pieces from the Imperial Box.
Hania Kantzer is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying chemistry and Asian studies. This past summer, she was a grateful recipient of the Stevan B. Dana Fieldwork Scholarship through ASOR, and was able to work as a student researcher on the Huqoq Excavation Project.
“As an archaeology student, my education is all about developing my archaeological understandings and perfecting my craft. This is why we all go to school. But there is just something so special and amazing about the moments in our educational journeys when what we have worked to learn evolves from mere theory to applied practice.”
“I can’t say that I didn’t expect how talented, hardworking, and experienced the professors I worked under were; the knowledge they imparted to us students was extraordinary just like their CVs would tell you. What I did not expect was the level of personal support and kindness they extended. I will never forget how these experts at the top of their field still made time to guide me, an undergraduate fresh out of my first year in college. They didn’t just lead by example; they also provided invaluable mentorship. Months later, I am still brushing off the dust from my work clothes, yet what remains even more vividly from this experience than the dust on my belongings or the treasured trowel displayed on my shelf are the wonderful memories of my first adventure in archaeology!”
“This July I was fortunate enough to travel to Israel for the first time and participate in the archaeological dig at Tel Abel Beth Maacah, near Metula in Galilee, and it was an unforgettable experience. As an Old Testament student much of my time is focused on the literary and linguistic areas of biblical studies, but on the recommendation from one of my professors I applied to be a participant in the excavation at ABM. This experience, although brief, has given me a practical perspective on my current academic endeavors. Thank you to ASOR and the scholarship donors who made this trip possible.”
“One of my favorite things about archaeology is being part of a community forged through hard work, friendship, collegiality and mutual support. There is almost no better feeling than being covered in mud from head to toe, exhausted, hot, thirsty and hungry and yet somehow finding the energy for a race to the car for the best seat for the ride home while laughing all the way. Being part of this kind of family–a chosen family some might say–is a real privilege and one I look forward to every year.”
“In addition to all of the fieldwork, spending time with all of the individuals with the same passion for archaeology was amazing. I will have future colleagues and friends for life.”
