Ancient Cypriot Extinction

The Fauna of Pre-Hominid Cyprus

In the depths of the Paleolithic era, Cyprus emerged as a haven for a unique array of wildlife. This era, marked by its pre-hominid status, witnessed Cyprus transforming into an environment almost devoid of large predators. Such conditions paved the way for the emergence of distinctive fauna, among which the pygmy hippopotamus stood as a remarkable example. This small, island-specific hippo highlighted the island's fascinating ecosystem. [1]

Contrary to its mainland relatives, the Cypriot pygmy hippo wasn't the sole representative of its kind. The island also nurtured miniature elephants, though these were rarer and potentially competed with the hippos for food. These species embody the intriguing process of insular dwarfism - an evolutionary response to limited resources and the absence of large predators on islands. [1]

Despite their smaller size, these creatures were well-adapted to their environment.

The pygmy hippo reached a height of 75cm and weighed around 200kg, making it the largest animal on Cyprus during this period. This reduction in size was a crucial adaptation, allowing these animals to flourish with the island's limited food resources.

Around 9,000 BC, these wondrous animals faced a rapid and violent extinction, leaving behind only bones as evidence of their existence. The cause for this rapid extinction was and partially is up for debate. Let's venture back to the present day, or perhaps a few decades prior to today, and trace back the steps of the pygmy hippo's extinction and how these events relate to the archeology and history of Ancient Cyprus.

A Walk Down a Dangerous Cliff

More than half a century ago, precisely in 1969, a young boy of 11 years old was seen navigating a steep cliff in Akrotiri. This boy, David Nixon, the son of a Royal Air Force serviceman stationed on the island, embarked on this journey to alleviate his boredom. Little did he know, he was about to make a discovery that would significantly alter our understanding of Neolithic Cyprus.

While traversing the rugged terrain of the cliff, David stumbled upon something extraordinary. Among the dirt, he found small bones and pieces of flint that looked intriguing, lying undiscovered until that very moment. With a mix of curiosity and innocence, he gathered some of these relics from a long-forgotten era, oblivious to their importance.

When he returned to Great Britain, David eventually took these artifacts to the experts at the Natural History Museum.

The findings were astounding: the artifacts were Neolithic, consisting of remains of pygmy hippos that had once roamed ancient Cyprus and flints shaped by ancient human hands on the island. Unknowingly, during his simple adventure, David had uncovered a significant archaeological site. His discovery shed light on the history, life, and extinction of the remarkable fauna of ancient Cyprus. Nixon later wrote a letter to the Cypriot Department of Antiquity, informing them of this discovery. [1]

Early Site Occupation

The site remained relatively untouched over the next decade, and even upon its later rediscovery was considered relatively unimpressive. Archeology on the island at the time focused primarily on larger sites that included architectural elements.

Several archeologists visited the site during the 1980s, performing surveys and collecting some surface material. Swiny [2] was the first to attempt to radio date some of the collected flint. The results were confusing to say the least, with the oldest sample being dated to 11,000 BP +- 100, and the most recent being 3700 BP +- 60. If the oldest result was indeed correct, it would be the oldest site on the island, predating the earliest known human occupation by 2000 years. [1]

These dating results peeked the interest of a few archeologists, who tried and succeeded to get the funding required to perform an initial dig in 1987. The site at first glance seemed uninteresting, however within only a four small units recovered an incredibly amount of material. Numerous well preserved pygmy hippo remains were discovered, allowing the archeologists to secure further funding.

Three seasons of archeological digs were performed in 1988, 1989, and 1990. This led to the recovery of almost 220,000 bones with 98.3% belonging to the pygmy hippo along with several pygmy elephants and birds.

Interestingly, although the site was located at the beach, only a single fish bone was discovered; indicating that early human settlers had no interest in fishing and instead focused on hunting the island's unique fauna. [1]

Over 1,000 lithics were recovered, not resembling any currently known lithics on Cyprus.

Further radio carbon dating found that the site was occupied around 12,000 BP.

The Pygmy hippo suffered a rapid demise and extinction event during the early Neolithic. Initial scholarly works assumed various scenarios including food shortages and resource competition, however there is now strong evidence that hunting was the primary cause of their extinction.

While it is saddening to think of the loss of such a unique and incredible species, the discovery of such early larger scale human habitation is evidence of skilled sea faring [3].

Conclusion

The discovery of the Akrotiri site offers a unique lens through which we can view the capabilities and impacts of early humans. Their ability to navigate the seas, settle new lands, and adapt to the environments they encountered tells a story of remarkable resilience and ingenuity.

There are so many questions I wish I could ask these early humans, such as the lack of interest in fishing - as indicated by the solitary fish bone found at the site - makes little sense. It challenges our assumptions about early human diets and their interactions with their surroundings. What does this tell us about their daily lives, their survival strategies, and their cultural practices? How can sea faring humans not take ecological advantage of the sea?

The exploration of pre-Neolithic Cyprus is far from over. Each artifact, each bone, and each site holds the potential to unravel new mysteries about our ancestors. What other stories lie buried in the Cypriot soil? How did these early humans influence the islands they settled, and what legacy did they leave behind? The quest for knowledge continues, and with each discovery, we step closer to understanding the intricate web of life that has shaped our understanding of ancient Cyprus.