Abstract

Ceramic flasks were a small but regular component of domestic and, in particular, of cemetery assemblages during the Early and Middle Bronze Age in Cyprus. They were made in a variety of fine fabrics and decorated with incised geometric designs. Given their small size, narrow apertures and recovery in burial contexts, it is likely that they were used to store, transport and dispense small quantities of precious liquids — oils, perfumes, drugs or/and other valuable compounds — used in funerary and perhaps other ceremonies. In this volume a fully illustrated catalogue of 560 known flasks provides the basis for a thorough analysis of form, fabric and decoration, and an assessment of change through time and variability at different scales of analysis, from broad regional traditions to specific sites and workshops. Special attention is given to questions of style and recognition of the products of individual potters within a varied and complex decorative tradition, and models of production and distribution are set within changing relationships between communities and regions and across the island.