The Kingdom of Alashiya: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Trading Kingdom on Cyprus during the Bronze Age

Summary

International trade in the ancient world was a more intricate and far-reaching system than many have been led to believe. The Silk Road and the Incense Trade Route have been heavily researched in recent decades, and the Amber Road trade network dominating northern Europe has become a more prominent area of focus for historians as well. Trade was at the forefront of the Late Bronze Age (c. 1500-1200 BCE), especially in the Near East, where great kingdoms developed a network of trade and diplomacy stretching from Persia to Egypt and from Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) down to Arabia. The system these kingdoms built is well-documented in texts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and other places, and archaeological excavations have uncovered more. Studies of the Late Bronze Age system have revealed that although it may have lacked the technology of later eras, it was just as sophisticated as any other geopolitical system in terms of the manner in which the kingdoms interacted and conducted business with each other. Most importantly, alliances were formed and dissolved and trade was carefully negotiated and documented by its members.

Most major powers in the system are quite well-known, including Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Hatti, and Mittani, but one of the members remains fairly enigmatic: the Kingdom of Alashiya. The primary mystery concerning the Kingdom of Alashiya was its precise location, because the known Egyptian, Akkadian, and Hittite texts mentioning Alashiya fail to properly place the kingdom geographically. For years scholars were torn between its possible location, with most believing it was either in Cyprus, Cilicia, or somewhere in Syria, but today, most accept that Alashiya was in Cyprus. 

The Kingdom of Alashiya: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Trading Kingdom on Cyprus during the Bronze Age examines the mysterious kingdom and its relationships with various other kingdoms nearby.