Textile-Wrapped Wealth: A Late Bronze Age Hoard from Kaleburnu-Kral Tepesi/Galinaporni-Vasili, Cyprus

Mineralized textile remains associated with the 2014 bronze hoard from Kaleburnu‑Kral Tepesi/Galinaporni‑Vasili are examined in detail in this study. At least 111 bronze objects were recovered inside and around a storage jar placed in a rock‑cut well on the Karpas Peninsula. Many of these objects had been wrapped with textiles and cords, bundled together, or separated by organic layers. Microscopic analysis identifies 13–15 different textiles, all tabby weaves, as well as several types of cord; almost all yarns show S‑twist, consistent with the Eastern Mediterranean textile tradition. By mapping the spatial distribution of textile types (A–O), the study reconstructs wrapping strategies, the bundling of object groups, and the use of organic fillers such as grass between stacked bowls. This self‑contained and distinctive case provides one of the few, and unique, examples for the role of textiles in organizing and protecting metal wealth in the Late Bronze Age.