An archaeological expedition from the University of Gothenburg has discovered tombs containing treasures at the foot of the Bronze Age complex of Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus. This was reported in a press release on Phys.org.

The tombs consist of underground chambers of various sizes (up to 4 by 5 meters) reached by a narrow passage from the surface. They discovered more than 500 artifacts made of ivory, gemstones and high-quality ceramics. This shows that the tombs belong to the rulers of the city, which was the center of copper trade between 1500-1300 BC.

About half of the works originally belonged to other cultures. Gold and ivory were imported from Egypt, while precious stones such as blue lapis lazuli, crimson agate, and blue-green turquoise were mined in Afghanistan, India, and the Sinai Peninsula, respectively. The tombs also contained amber objects from the Baltic region. Most of the ceramic vessels came from Greece, and vessels from Turkey, Syria, Palestine and Egypt have also been found.

Well-preserved skeletons were found in the tombs, including a woman and a one-year-old child. Many people, including men and women, wore crowns, and some probably had pendant necklaces made in Egypt during the reign of pharaohs such as Thutmose III and Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). The crowns were decorated with bull, gazelle, lion and flower reliefs. Burials also included bronze weapons inlaid with ivory, and a gold mounted seal made of the hard mineral hematite with the names of gods and rulers inscribed.

The wealth of the buried people is explained by the discovery of copper mines nearby, in the Troodos mountains, where copper was mined and then processed in the city. Later, the raw material was exported to other countries, where it was used together with tin for bronze.