Cyprus - History Of The Conflict :: European Europe History

Cyprus - History Of The ConflictCyprus, an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, at the cross-roads of third continents - Europe, Asia and Africa - has one of the oldest histories of the dry land, dating back 9000 years.Its strategic position, its wealth in forests and mineral deposits, as well as its skilled craftsmen, made it the prized possession of the powers of the day. ethnical influences came from all directions - all major regional civilisations left their mark on the island, contributing to the development of a very rich and diverse cultural heritage. ANCIENT TIMESThe Stone Age The prototypal signs of human life on the island date back to c. 8500 BC during the Palaeolithic period. Evidence of human operation was found in cave dwellings near Liopetri, though it is not cognize whether they were just hunting parties passing through or permanent settlers.The original undisputed settlements are believed to have been established towards the end of the 8th millenary BC. Vesti ges of such early communities are found all over the island, such as at Khirokitia, Kalavasos-Tenta, Apostolos Andreas-Kastros, Phrenaros, Petra tou Limniti.Neolithic Cypriots built circular houses with small unappareled stones for the lower structures and sun-dried mudbricks and clay for the middle and superstructure. The Khirokitia neolithic settlement in Larnaca district stands out as a striking example of prehistorical architecture. The Bronze/ Copper Age Large copper deposits brought fame and wealth to the island and whitethorn have even given it its name. It has been documented that during the bronze age Cyprus had sharp commercial relations with the main commercial and cultural centres of that time. During this period metallurgy and pottery flourished while close relations developed, particularly with Crete, which are also express in the Cypro-Minoan script which appeared in Cyprus around 1500 BC. Of special significance for the futurity of Cyprus was its colonisation a round 1200 BC by Mycenaean and Achaean Greeks, a migration process that lasted for more than a century. They brought with them to the island the Hellenic language, culture and religion. Legend has it that the first Hellenes who settled in Cyprus were heroes of the Trojan war. The arrival of the Achaeans greatly influenced town planning, architecture, and pottery. Since then Cyprus has remained predominantly Greek in culture, language and population despite influences resulting from nonparallel occupations. Iron Age More and more people from the Greek world came to live in Cyprus.