Which regions traded with Cyprus during the Bronze Age?

During the Bronze Age, Cyprus established extensive international trade networks, primarily driven by the demand for its copper resources. Archaeological evidence confirms that the island maintained commercial relations with several key regions:12

• Egypt: Trade links were well-established by the Middle Bronze Age, with Cyprus serving as a significant source of copper.12
• The Levant: The island maintained close commercial ties with the Levant coast throughout the Bronze Age.12
• Crete: Imports from Crete are documented as early as the Middle Bronze Age, demonstrating early external trade.12
• Anatolia: Trade connections with Anatolia were active during the Middle Bronze Age.1
• Mycenaean Greece: Following the introduction of Mycenaean pottery around 1400 bce, commercial and cultural exchange intensified, eventually leading to the settlement of Mycenaean Greeks on the island around 1200 bce.12

These international contacts extended across the Aegean Sea, the Levant, and the Nile River delta, facilitating the growth of new settlements in eastern Cyprus that functioned as international trading centers.1