Description
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.
Table of Contents
- From Tell Mardikh to Ebla: archaeological exploration
- Ebla and early urbanization in Syria
- Ebla, Mari, Akkad: from city-states to empire
- The Royal Palace in the age of the Archives space and function
- Early Syrian religion, the Red Temple, and the Temple of the Rock
- The State Archives: Economy, Culture, and Society
- Artistic expressions and material culture in the mature Early Syrian period
- The crisis in the Early Syrian world and the archaic Old Syrian renaissance
- From Ebla to Yamkhad: the territorial states of the Amorite Age
- Town planning and architecture in the Old Syrian city
- Old Syrian artistic culture: originality and continuity
- Old Syrian material culture: characteristics and development
- From Ebla to Tell Mardikh: decline of a great urban centre
