Interests: Origins and Spread of Near Eastern Agriculture, Plant Domestication, Prehistoric Archaeology of the Near East and Cyprus

 

Title of Thesis:
Economy and Interaction: Exploring Archaeobotanical Contributions in Prehistoric Cyprus

Recent archaeobotanical results from early Aceramic Neolithic sites on Cyprus, dating to about 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.  Further consideration is needed of the role of new introductions, local agricultural developments, or intensification in subsequent economical 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 will contribute to current archaeological debates on external contact and the influence of the broader Near East on the development of the island’s  prehistoric economy. 

Current Archaeobotanical Projects:

Souskiou-Laona- Early/Middle Chalcolithic settlement site
(directed by E. Peltenburg with the University of Edinburgh and the Lemba Archaeological Research Centre)

Krittou Marattou-‘Ais Yiorkis -Middle Cyro-Pre Pottery Neolithic site (directed by A. Simmons with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Prastion-Mesortsos
(directed by A. McCarthy with the University of Edinburgh and the Lemba Archaeological Research Centre)

Kissonerga-Skalia– Early/Middle Bronze Age settlement site
(directed by L. Crewe with the Universit of Manchester)

Archaeobotany flotation Cyprus

Doing flotation in Lemba.

Click here to view of Flotation Guide slide show

Contact Details:
l.m.lucas@ucl.ac.uk
leilanilucas@ymail.com
Academia.edu webpage

Supervisors:
Dorian Fuller: Reader in Archaeobotany, Institute of Archaeology, Unversity College London
(Dorian’s webpage)

Sue Colledge: Honorary Senior Research Associate, Institute of Archaeology, Unversity College London

Cyprian Broodbank: Reader in Mediterranean Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, Unversity College London

Useful Archaeobotanical Resources:
Dorian Fuller Archaeobotany Resources and Downloads
George Willcox’s webpage
Simone Riehl’s webpage
International Work Group for Palaeoethnobotany website
Archaeobotanical database of Eastern Mediterranean
and Near Eastern sites
Universität Tübingen