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.
Author(s): Paolo Matthiae
Series: Cities of the Ancient World
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 516
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of contents
Plates
Figures
Foreword
Preface to the English edition
Publishers’ acknowledgements
1 From Tell Mardikh to Ebla: Archaeological exploration
2 Ebla and early urbanization in Syria
3 Ebla, Mari, Akkad: From city-states to empire
4 The Royal Palace in the age of the Archives: Space and function
5 Early Syrian religion, the Red Temple, and the Temple of the Rock
6 The State Archives: Economy, culture, and society
7 Artistic expressions and material culture in the mature Early Syrian Period
8 The crisis in the Early Syrian world and the archaic Old Syrian renaissance
9 From Ebla to Yamkhad: The territorial states of the Amorite Age
10 Town planning and architecture in the Old Syrian city
11 Old Syrian artistic culture: Originality and continuity
12 Old Syrian material culture: Characteristics and development
13 From Ebla to Tell Mardikh: Decline of a great urban centre
Appendix
The Royal Palace of the Archives, Area G (Early Bronze IVA)
The Temple of the Rock, Area HH (Early Bronze IVA)
The Red Temple, Area D (Early Bronze IVA)
The Archaic Palace, Area P (Early Bronze IVB)
The Old Syrian city walls (Middle Bronze I)
The Old Syrian City Gates, Areas A, L, DD, BB (Middle Bronze I–II)
The Western Fort, Area V (Middle Bronze II)
The Northern Fort, Area AA (Middle Bronze II)
Ishtar’s Temple on the Citadel, Area D (Middle Bronze I–II)
Ishtar’s Sacred Area in the Lower Town, Area P (Middle Bronze I–II)
The Temples of Shapash/Shamash, Rashap, and Hadad (?), Areas N, B, HH (Middle Bronze I–II)
The Sanctuary of the Deified Royal Ancestors, Area B (Middle Bronze II)
The Old Syrian Royal Palace, Area E (Middle Bronze II)
The Western Palace, Area Q (Middle Bronze I–II)
The Southern Palace, Area FF (Middle Bronze I–II)
The Royal Necropolis, Area Q (Middle Bronze I–II)
The Northern Palace, Area P (Middle Bronze II)
The Western Residence, Area Z (Middle Bronze II)
Private houses quarter, Area B (Middle Bronze II)
Notes
Bibliography
Bibliographical update
Index
Plates
