Ebla: Archaeology and History

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.

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.