Tamassos - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tamassos is an ancient Greek city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

of great archaeological significance in the central vicinity of Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

, located approximately 21 kilometeres south-west of the capital city

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

of Nicosia

Nicosia

Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...

Ancient Tamassos

The city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

prospered mainly because of its mines

Mining

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

, from which metals (mostly copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

, Cyprus

Cyprus

' chief export

Export

The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...

in the ancient world

World

World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....

) were extracted. However, Tamassos has managed to survive throughout the ages, despite the fact that all copper

Copper

mines

Mining

were exhausted, and is now thought to remain buried under the village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

of Politiko

Politiko

Politiko is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus.The hamlet of Filani is part of this municipality....

Foundations, inhabitants, and economy

Unlike other city-states on the island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

, there is no precise information from either history

History

History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...

or tradition

Tradition

A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...

, concerning the establishment of Tamassos as a human

Human

Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

settlement and later as an important trade

Trade

Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...

city

City

. The oldest known reference of Tamassos which proves its existence is found in Homer

Homer

In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...

's epic

Epic poetry

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...

poem of the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...

(A, 184). Particularly, a man called Efstathios (Eustace) talks of a Cypriot town:

"…There is a town in Cyprus, "Temesi" according to some, that is also copper-bearing…"

The correlation between a town in Cyprus called "Temesi" and copper lead to the assumption that Homer was actually referring to Tamassos.

The area of Tamassos itself was in fact home to a number of small farmer settlements, which were replaced by the city

City

following the discovery and manipulation of the copper

Copper

mines

Mining

. Thus copper

Copper

became the heart of economy

Economy

An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...

in Tamassos in the centuries which followed. Studies of the archaeological artifacts

Artifact (archaeology)

An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...

suggest that the region

Region

Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...

was inhabited since Prehistoric times and, more specifically, since the Chalcolithic Age. Even so, villages belonging to the wider region

Region

of Tamassos (such as Kampia

Kampia

Kampia may refer to several villages in Cyprus and Greece:*Kampia, Chania, a village in the Chania prefecture, Crete*Kampia, Euboea, a village in Euboea*Kampia, Chios, a village on Chios*Kampia, Phthiotis, a village in Phthiotis...

, Margi

Margi

Margi is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960, the village population was made up almost exclusively of Turkish Cypriots....

, Kotsiatis, and Mathiatis

Mathiatis

Mathiatis is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. Before 1960 the village had a mixed Greek and Turkish Cypriot population....

) were of a dense population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

ever since the Early Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

. The population

Population

of central Tamassos increased significantly following the exploitation of the area's copper

Copper

mines

Mining

. Evidently, the tombs and copper

Copper

-processing installations which were discovered in the area date back to the Late Bronze Age

Bronze Age

.

Other writers such as Claudius Ptolemy and Stefanos Byzantios also speak of Tamassos. The latter describes the city as "mesogeia" (of the midlands) with copper of excellent quality. Yet it is the fact that Tamassos was located in the middle of the island and had no port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

, which hindered it from becoming a major trading post such as Salamina (otherwise known as Salamis

Salamis Island

Salamis , is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile off-coast from Piraeus and about 16 km west of Athens. The chief city, Salamina , lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf...

) and Pafos

Paphos

Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...

. The city also lacked the cosmopolitan character of the island's coast

Coast

A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...

al cities. In truth, Tamassos resembled an "industrial" city with of mines and workshops, though it had without doubt developed in both agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

(due to the surrounding fertile land) and stock-breeding. The agriculture of the area was also boosted by the fact that one of Cyprus' most important torrential rivers, the Pediaios

Pedieos

The Pedieos is the longest river in Cyprus. The river originates in the Troodos Mountains close to Machairas Monastery and flows northeast across the Mesaoria plains, through the capital city Nicosia...

, and other tributaries, made the soil fertile.

The two royal tombs of Tamassos are proof of the city's wealth during the Archaic era. For these to be constructed a considerable amount of money

Money

Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...

was required. Therefore, the tombs suggest financial prosperity.

The influence of the Greeks

The Greek

Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...

influence in the region can be proved by the evident worship of Greek deities

Ancient Greek religion

Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. These different groups varied enough for it to be possible to speak of Greek religions or "cults" in the plural, though most of them shared...

. Furthermore, there seem to have been many interactions between Tamassos and the Greeks. For example, the King of Tamassos, Pasikypros, is said to have sold his kingdom to the Phoenicia

Phoenicia

Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...

ns of Kition for a price of 50 talents. Having received this amount of money, the King went to spend his last days in Amathus

Amathus

Amathus was one of the most ancient royal cities of Cyprus, on the southern coast in front of Agios Tychonas, about 24 miles west of Larnaca and 6 miles east of Limassol...

. Athenaeos claims that Alexander the Great gave the same city to Pnytagoras, the King of Salamina, as he had assisted him with the invasion and capture of Tyros.

Moreover, the reconstruction of Aphrodite

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....

's temple

Temple

A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...

, and perhaps of other public buildings, is observed during the beginning of the Hellenistic years. It is assumed that there was an alteration to the city character and political structure, not to mention that new public buildings must have been constructed.

During the reign of the Hellenistic Empire, Greeks from various places of the empire came to live in Tamassos. One of these people was Aspendios from Asia Minor.

After the appearance and spread of Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

to most of southern Europe

Southern Europe

The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...

, Tamassos became one of the first Greek Orthodox diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

s (Bishopric Seats) of Cyprus. The presence of its two first Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

s, Saint Herakleidios and Saint Mnason, was prominent.

The archaeological site

No major archaeological excavations have been conducted in the area of Tamassos because the centre of the town, which is believed to have been the location of various public buildings and shrines, is thought to be under the village

Village

of Politiko

Politiko

Politiko is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus.The hamlet of Filani is part of this municipality....

and the nearby Greek Orthodox monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

of "Agios Hrakleidios".

Sporadic excavations (specifically between 1970 and 1990) in the outer area resulted in the discovery of many artifacts as well as parts of the original city

City

dating from the Archaic

Archaic period in Greece

The Archaic period in Greece was a period of ancient Greek history that followed the Greek Dark Ages. This period saw the rise of the polis and the founding of colonies, as well as the first inklings of classical philosophy, theatre in the form of tragedies performed during Dionysia, and written...

, Classical

Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...

, and Hellenistic eras

Eras

Eras is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Albert Boton and Albert Hollenstein , and released by the International Typeface Corporation in 1976. Eras is licensed by the Linotype type foundry....

. The visible sections of this large and important archaeological site also include the site of the temple

Temple

of Aphrodite

Aphrodite

, the two majestic royal tombs, and other graves

Graves

Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...

.

Fortifications which surrounded the city during the Archaic period have also been unearthed, as well as, copper

Copper

-processing installations, clay

Clay

Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

and stone

Rock (geology)

In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...

statuettes, and various oblation

Oblation

Oblation, an offering , a term, particularly in ecclesiastical usage, for a solemn offering or presentation to God.-Bible usage:...

-vessels

Bowl (vessel)

A bowl is a common open-top container used in many cultures to serve food, and is also used for drinking and storing other items. They are typically small and shallow, although some, such as punch bowls and salad bowls, are larger and often intended to serve many people.Bowls have existed for...

, censer

Censer

Censers are any type of vessels made for burning incense. These vessels vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction. They may consist of simple earthenware bowls or fire pots to intricately carved silver or gold vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as...

s, and oil lamps. A limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

altar

Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...

was found nearby Aphrodite

Aphrodite

's temple

Temple

as well as a temple devoted to Kiveli (the Mother of Gods). The latter was discovered alongside an epigraphic testimony regarding the goddess' worship. In addition, there are various literary references proving the worshipping of Apollo, Aesculapius, and Dionysus.

Recently six life-size limestone

Limestone

sculptures were discovered, of which two represented sphinxes and four represented lions in a crouching position. Apparently, the sculptures originate from the 6th century BC. When Egyptian

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

rule was present on the island

Island

. The findings are currently on display at the Cyprus Museum

Cyprus Museum

The Cyprus Museum is the oldest and largest archaeological museum in Cyprus.The museum houses artefacts discovered during numerous excavations on the island. The museum is home to the most extensive collection of Cypriot antiquities in the world and is located on Museum Street in central Nicosia...

in Nicosia

Nicosia

The necropolis and the tombs

North-east of Aphrodite's temple lies the necropolis

Necropolis

A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...

of Tamassos. In addition, three cemeteries

Cemetery

A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...

are located in the region. One dates back to the Copper

Copper Age

The Chalcolithic |stone]]") period or Copper Age, also known as the Eneolithic/Æneolithic , is a phase of the Bronze Age in which the addition of tin to copper to form bronze during smelting remained yet unknown by the metallurgists of the times...

/ Bronze Age

Bronze Age

, another to the Archaic period

Archaic period in Greece

, whilst the third belongs to the Hellenistic era

Hellenistic civilization

Hellenistic civilization represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE...

and the times of Roman rule.
Most of the Bronze Age cemetery is probably close to the Lambertes barrow

Tumulus

A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...

(south-east of the Politiko village). South-west of the "Agios Herakleidios" monastery, a tomb belonging to the Middle Bronze era was dug up in 1963. Yet another tomb from the latter part of the Bronze Age was excavated south-east of the monastery, in the region between the present-day nunnery and the Lambertes barrow.
The Archaic era cemetery is located south-west of the village, between the region's two rivers, of which one is the torrential Pediaios, which waters most of Nicosia District and particularly the fertile (and now Turkish

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

-occupied) area of Mesaoria

Mesaoria

The Mesaoria is a broad, sweeping plain which makes up the centre of the island of Cyprus.-Geography:The Mesaoria plain is bounded on the east and west by the Mediterranean Sea, on the south by the Troodos mountains and on the north by the Kyrenia mountains. It has an area of approximately...

.
The Hellenistic/Roman cemetery is found on a slope north-west of Politiko, where the "Agios Mnason" monastery once existed.
Many shrines also seem to have existed around the ancient city of Tamassos. This can be proven by the presence of the Archaic earthen statue and the famous bronze statue of Apollo

Chatsworth Head

The Chatsworth Head is a slightly over-life-size bronze head dating to around 460 BC which is now in the British Museum.-Description:The head was originally part of a complete statue, probably one of Apollo, made up of various sections The Chatsworth Head is a slightly over-life-size bronze head...

found in the area.
Nowadays the two monasteries of St. Herakleidios and St. Mnason are believed to be important monuments of the region.

The decline of Tamassos

Tamassos is referred to as a city of Cyprus until the 10th century, yet by that time the city was already in decline. The mines were abandoned after their exhaustion, and the economy was destroyed. Much later on, the city was replaced by small settlements such as Politiko and Episkopeio. The name "Politiko" refers to the brilliant ancient city it has replaced, whereas
the name "Episkopeio" is reminiscent of Tamassos's old diocese. "Ergates" has been thus named because it is the area where the mine workers lived, while "Pera Orinis" is named because it is opposite Politiko ("pera" being Greek for "yonder"), and because it is located in a hilly area ("oreinis" being Greek for "of the mountains" as opposed to the village "Pera Chorio Nisou" which is in the lowlands). It is believed that these settlements are a continuation of ancient Tamassos and that the inhabitation of this region has thus been continuous from the ancient Prehistoric times until present times.

Tamassos Today

Tamassos is now a local term used to describe the area in which the villages of Psimolofou

Psimolofou

Psimolofou or Psimolophou is village located about 16 km from Nicosia District Capital of Cyprus, en-route to the historic Machairas Monastery....

, Episkopeio, Pera Orinis

Pera Orinis

Pera Orinis, or Pera Oreinis or Pera , is a village in the area known as Tamassos, which is in turn part of the Nicosia District in Cyprus.Pera is situated near ; about one hour walking distance across the...

, Ergates, Politiko

Politiko

Politiko is village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus.The hamlet of Filani is part of this municipality....

, Kampia

Kampia

, Analyontas, and Kapedes are located. For the past few centuries the villages have developed from being poor agricultural villages housing some 10 families to becoming villages consisting of 1000 inhabitants. Pera Orinis and Politiko retain much of the older buildings of the older settlements at the centre of the villages, which are deemed to be of high cultural significance. Highlights of these include the church of Panagia Odigitria, the Old Mill, the Parthenagogion and Arenagogion, as well as the recently restore chapel of St George of Pera Orinis, and the famous Tombs of the Kings of the village of Politiko.

The TAMASSOS Cultural Association

The TAMASSOS Cultural Association was established in 1989 by the 8 communities that constituted the ancient kingdom of Tamassos. After having been neglected for a few years, it becoming active once more in 2000. The association currently strives to bring the inhabitants of Tamassos together and to organise certain cultural activities during the year. Of these events the most important is considered to be the so-called "TAMASSIA", which takes place every year by the end of September and lasts for approximately two weeks. These event includes a cross-country bicycle ride within Tamassos, a seven-a-side soccer league, a backgammon contest, a "Pilotta" contest ("Pilotta" being a type of card game), Target Shooting Games, theatrical performances, and camping. The "TAMASSIA" are believed to make participants appreciate their cultural heritage. The Cultural Association also regularly issues a free newspaper, through which the activities of both the TAMASSOS Cultural Association and the separate communities are promoted.

External links

Archeological Sites: Tamassos - Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus.
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/highlights_search_results.aspx?searchText=tamassos&x=0&y=0 Archeological findings of Tamassos at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...

.
Rare Cypriot Sculptures found in Tamassos - archeology.org, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America
Archaeological Institute of America
The Archaeological Institute of America is a North American nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of public interest in archaeology, and the preservation of archaeological sites. It has offices on the campus of Boston University and in New York City.The institute was founded in 1879,...

.
tamassos.org - History and culture of the area; list of churches etc.
collection - Harvard Semitic Museum, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Weapons, Tools and Ritual Remains - Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...

, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

.
Information and photos of Tamassos.

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