*SC*RARE ANCIENT GREEK CYPRUS BRONZE SWORD - NICE!! Start Price USD 249.00 Current Price USD 312.70 Time Left - Bid Count 3 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, November 30, 2008 End Time Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Location 1964 See more about '*SC*RARE ANCIENT GREEK CYPRUS BRONZE SWORD - NICE!!' Description persian View our other auctions About us Authenticity guarantee Payment & shipping   SENATUSCONSULTO Ancient weapons, coins & antiquities *** RARE ANCIENT GREEK CYPRUS BRONZE SWORD - NICE!!        Culture Greek bronzeage Dating: 2nd mill. B.C. Material: Bronze Condition: Nice Size: 321 mm - 12,6 inches Est. $500-600   Description: A high quality rare cast short bronze sword with a tapered point, leaf shaped blades and a sharp central ridge. The shape of the blade and tang are characteristics of the Cyprus bronze age swords and daggers from the early 2nd. millenium B.C. This short sword are from an old danish collection and originally from the area around the ancient town of Enkomi. The shape is typical for Enkomi and Aegean Cyprus and can easily be distinquished from the types from Asia minor. Size: 321 mm. - 12,6 inches. An impressive ancient tanged weapon! Reff. An almost exactly matching sword is described in 'Altsyrien' by Helmuth Th. Bossert, s. 20, #286. The sword is from Grave 52 in Enkomi and found during Schaeffers missions in Cyprus 1936. (Here pictured in table 23). Condition: Nice. Completely intact with a few minor dings to the edges. The sword is cleaned but is still retaining some patina, very attractive in hand! Est. $500-600. Early Bronze Age (2300 - 1850 BC) During the Early Bronze Age the first towns and economic centres developed in Cyprus where copper was worked and exported. At this time the island developed commercial and cultural relations with Asia Minor, Egypt, and the Syrian/Palestinian region. This fresh impulse resulted from an influx of immigrants from Anatolia who were displaced from their settlements in Asia Minor by invading tribes. The newcomers brought with them, along with their customs, a shiny dark red type of pottery, known as red polished ware. The dead were interred in rock cut tombs accessed by long narrow passages. Most of our knowledge of this period is derived from finds in cemeteries, for although the island seems to have been thickly populated at this time, no settlements have yet berde-n identified. Judging by the multitude of articles placed with the dead - bowls, jugs, food, combs, knives, axes, necklaces, spinnings whorls etc. - the afterlife was evidently an important cultural feature of these Bronze Age people. A clay model found in Vounous showed the existence of enclosed areas, or temenoi, which served as sanctuaries. This model, representing a religious ceremony, centres on three symbolic figures wearing bull masks and holding snakes. The significance of bull images, representing the god of fertility, in this mainly agricultural community are reminiscent of similar traditions noted in the Anatolian settlement of Alaca Hoyuk. The snakes represent the chthonic god of the underworld and are associated with the annual cycle of regeneration: snakes were observed to disappear into the ground in winter (hibernation) and re-emerge (rebirth) the following spring. Another model, depicting two pairs of oxen drawing ploughs, shows that some agricultural techniques have remained essentially unchanged for some 4000 years. Other grave finds, including articles of gold, glass beads, and cylinder seals, suggest trading links with Syria and Egypt. Flat, card shaped idols with incised designs are also characteristic of the Early Bronze Age.   WE ARE RUNNING THIS AUCTION FROM ONLY $249,- WITH NO  RESERVE!!   About us: Senatus Consulto specialize in coins and ancient weapons from ancient European and Asian  cultures, but in general we offer antiquities from a period spanning from the Neolithic ages throughout the Bronze and Iron ages and well into the Middle ages. Our stock is mostly aquired from large and well known danish estates or collections often formed  in the beginning of the 20th  century. Authenticity Guaranteed: Senatus Consulto fully guarantees all artifacts and coins to be genuine in every aspect unless otherwise stated in the item description. Any detail regarding an antiquity that is not known to us, will be noted as such. All artifacts and collectibles are accompanied by an invoice which also function as a Lifetime Certificate of Authenticity. Any item significantly deviating from the information provided by us regarding culture and dating, may be returned for a promp refund excluding shipping and handling. Payment & shipping: Shipping: Buyer pays shipping & handling costs: Reg. airmail: $29 - RECOMMENDED Budget shipping:  (Buyers risk only - NO INSURANCE, NO TRACK & TRACE): $14 Insurance:  E-mail for insurance options! Insurance:  Please E-mail for insurance options! Combined shipping: If you buy multiple items, you'll only pay one shipping fee.   Payment options: Cashier's checks and international M.O.'s Personal checks (shipping awaits clearing of your check in our bank - up to 30 days).   Bank wire transfer We will convert your final bid from US$ to £ and Euro and accept payment in these valutas and other European valutas at the request of the highbidder. Eurochecks drawn on Euro country banks only. US$ checks drawn on US banks only. ** You can collect your purchases of a period of up to 30 days in one transaction, but please advice. (Credit max. of $1.000 for first time customers.***   Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Place a Bid!