Glossary Society, writing and trade
Obelos
Also called: obeloi
A long metal roasting spit, often found in sets in rich Iron Age tombs (plural obeloi); the Greek coin name obol derives from it.
Bronze obeloi appear in rich Cypro-Geometric I tombs at Palaepaphos-Skales, Kition and Amathus, marking roasted meat and feasting as signs of status. Bronze examples disappear by the Cypro-Archaic period, when iron spits take over, sometimes with ship-shaped iron firedogs to hold them over the embers.
One bronze obelos from Palaepaphos-Skales is inscribed with what is read as the Greek name Opheltau, and is often cited as the earliest evidence for the Greek language on Cyprus, although its script and significance are debated. See food and diet.
Full entry: Food and Diet in Ancient Cyprus
Related terms
- Arcado-Cypriot
The group of ancient Greek dialects shared by Arcadia in the Peloponnese and by Cyprus, and the form of Greek written in the Cypriot Syllabary.
- Syllabary
A writing system whose signs each stand for a whole syllable, such as ka, pe or to.
- Prestige goods
Rare or costly objects whose value lay in the status they conferred, used by leaders to display rank and build alliances.