Population,Households, and Ceramic Consumption in a Prehistoric Cypriot Village

Abstract

Evidence from excavations at the Early and Middle Bronze Age site of Marki-Alonia (ca. 2400–1900 B.C.) in central Cyprus provides the base for estimates of evolving population size, community structure, and the scale of ceramic consumption in a prehistoric village. We explore factors such as the region's carrying capacity, tombs associated with the site, average household size, and domestic and funerary ceramic discard. Despite the unavoidable crudeness of any such measures, acceptable order-of magnitude figures can be developed with significant implications for understanding the size and structure of households, kinship relationships, and social reproduction, as well as the degree of craft specialization and the context of skills acquisition and learning.