Ebla: Archaeology and History

by Paolo Matthiae

Overview

In Ebla , Paolo Matthiae presents the results of 47 years of excavations at this fascinating site, providing a detailed account of Ebla’s history and archaeology.

Ebla grew from a small Early Bronze Age settlement into an important trading and political centre, which endured until its final destruction in c. 1600 BC . The destruction of its royal palace c. 2300 BC was particularly significant as it preserved the city’s rich archives, offering a wealth of information on its history, economy, religion, administration, and daily life. The discovery of Ebla is a pivotal moment in the history of archaeological investigations of the twentieth century, and this book is the result of all the excavation campaigns at Tell Mardikh- Ebla from 1964 until 2010, when field operations stopped due to the war in Syria.

Available for the first time in English, Ebla offers a complete account of one of the largest pre-classical urban centres by its discoverer, making it an essential resource for students of Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367494407
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/01/2022
Series:	Cities of the Ancient World
Pages:	516
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Paolo Matthiae is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology and Art History of the Ancient Near East at Sapienza University of Rome, and Fellow of the Accademia dei Lincei (Rome), the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles- Lettres (Paris), the Akademie der Wissenschaften (Vienna), the Royal Swedish Academy (Stockholm), and the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (Berlin). From the beginning of excavations at Tell Mardikh in 1964 to the suspension of work in 2010, he was Director of the excavations at Ebla in northern Syria.

Table of Contents

List of plates vii

List of figures x

Foreword xxv

Preface to the English edition xxix

Publishers' acknowledgements xxxi

1 From Tell Mardikh to Ebla: Archaeological exploration 1

2 Ebla and early urbanization in Syria 19

3 Ebla, Mari, Akkad: From city-states to empire 30

4 The Royal Palace in the age of the Archives: Space and function 42

5 Early Syrian religion, the Red Temple, and the Temple of the Rock 65

6 The State Archives: Economy, culture, and society 84

7 Artistic expressions and material culture in the mature Early Syrian Period 111

8 The crisis in the Early Syrian world and the archaic Old Syrian renaissance 142

9 From Ebla to Yamkhad: The territorial states of the Amorite Age 155

10 Town planning and architecture in the Old Syrian city 168

11 Old Syrian artistic culture: Originality and continuity 211

12 Old Syrian material culture: Characteristics and development 251

13 From Ebla to Tell Mardikh: Decline of a great urban centre 277

Appendix 289

Notes 362

Bibliography 397

Bibliographical update 435

Index 440