Leilani Lucas
Economy and Interaction: Exploring Archaeobotanical Contributions in Prehistoric Cyprus
Recent archaeobotanical results from early Aceramic Neolithic sites on Cyprus (c. 8,500 cal. BC) have put the island in the forefront of debates on the spread of Near Eastern agriculture, with domestic crops appearing on the island shortly after they evolved. The archaeobotanical results from these early Cypriot Aceramic Neolithic sites changed conventional views regarding the Cypriot prehistoric economy, specifically the timing of the introduction of farming to the island. However, what happened after the introduction of agriculture to Cyprus has been less discussed. My research explores the role of new introductions, local agricultural developments, and intensification in subsequent economic and social developments on Cyprus corresponding with the island’s evidence of ongoing social transformations and changing off-island patterns of contacts. In addition to contributing to discussions on the origins and spread of Near Eastern agriculture, my research contributes to current archaeological debates on external contact and the influence of the broader Near East on the development of the island’s prehistoric economy. Further, the primary objective of my research is the comparative quantitative analysis of the Cypriot charred macro botanical record including archaeobotanical data from four recently excavated Cypriot sites, Krittou Marottou ‘Ais Yiorkis, Kissonerga Skalia, Souskiou Laona, and Prastio Mesorotsos. My research is a chronological and regional analysis of the botanical record of Cyprus and a comparison of data from similarly dated sites in the Levantine mainland.
Supervisors
Educational background
- BA in Anthropology (with Distinction), University Nevada Reno, 2002
- MA in Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2007
2011 (in press) Crop introduction and accelerated island evolution: archaeobotanical evidence from ‘Ais Yiorkis and Pre-Pottery Neolithic Cyprus, Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Poster Presentations
2010 Poster- Exploring Archaeobotanical Contributions in Cypriot Prehistory
International Workgroup for Palaeoethnobotany (IWPG) 2010
2006 Poster- Archaeobotany of the Early Neolithic of Cyprus: Current Research at ‘Ais Yiorkis. Post Graduate of Cypriot Archaeology (POCA) Conference, October 2006.
