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A group of archaeologists discovered a rare artifact from the Aegean region during excavations at the ancient site of Hal Sultan Tekke on the coast of Cyprus. It is a bronze mirror that sheds light on the interaction of different cultures in the Late Bronze Age.
Hal Sultan Tekke includes a port city and a cemetery. Their age exceeds 5000 years. Unfortunately, there are no buildings left in the city. The area of the cemetery is several hectares. Archaeologists discovered three tombs that were very well preserved. They found 264 artifacts (vases, bowls, necklaces, jars, bracelets, rings, daggers, knives, etc.) representing Levantine, Mycenaean, Canaanite, Minoan, and Egyptian cultures.
The main find turned out to be a bronze mirror disk. It is most likely that the bronze mirror was brought to Cyprus from Crete. According to archaeologists, this artifact is very rare. Previously, only one similar mirror was found on the island. It was found in Enkomi Tomb 66. The mirrors may have been made by Cretan craftsmen in Chania and Knossos.
Judging by the weight and size of the mirrors, they were manufactured in Crete in a standardized way during the LM IIIIA1-2 historical period. In the subsequent LM IIIB period, standardized mirror production was curtailed.
