ABSTRACT
The history of Cyprus is one of cultural contact and connectivity. The unique Cypriot identity was formulated, negotiated, and renegotiated with the arrival of new groups onto the island. The nature of these population influxes has been debated by archaeologists, however. Whereas some researchers see the influx of new populations in a colonial framework where new groups imposed their cultural identity upon the existing population, others see these internal developments and the integration of newcomers in a migration framework leading to a Third Space phenomenon. Previous researchers have typically focused on material culture, architecture, and language. This chapter will focus on the role of health, behavior, and patterns of traumatic lesions on the skull to understand the nature of population movements. Bioarchaeological data, when contextualized with material culture, can provide an additional line of evidence to understand the role of changing social environments on health and violence patterns. The scope of this chapter is limited to the Bronze Age, examining population influx and the social environment from approximately 2400 to 1100 BC.
