Ebla and Its Landscape : Early State Formation in the Ancient Near East

The discovery of 17,000 tablets at the mid-third millennium BC site of Ebla in Syria has revolutionized the study of the ancient Near East. This is the first major English-language volume describing the multidisciplinary archaeological research at Ebla. Using an innovative regional landscape approach, the 29 contributions to this expansive volume examine Ebla in its regional context through lenses of archaeological, textual, archaeobiological, archaeometric, geomorphological, and remote sensing analysis. In doing so, they are able to provide us with a detailed picture of the constituent elements and trajectories of early state development at Ebla, essential to those studying the ancient Near East and to other archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, and linguists. This work was made possible by an IDEAS grant from the European Research Council. Introduction: The Chora of Ebla : A Multidisciplinary Approach / P. Matthiae and N. Marchetti Part 1. Town Archaeology A Long Journey : Fifty Years of Research on the Bronze Age at Tell Mardikh/Ebla / P. Matthiae The Royal Palace of Ebla : Functions of the Quarters and the Government of the Chora / P. Matthiae Palace vs. Common Glyptic in Early Syrian Ebla and Its Territory / F. Pinnock Popular Iconographies in a Courtly Environment : Clay Figurines from Royal Palace G / L. Peyronel Centralization and Redistribution : The Pottery Assemblage of Palace G / S. Mazzoni Form and Content : A Preliminary Functional Interpretation of the Storage Jars from Royal Palace G / M. D'Andrea and A. Vacca Working for the Elites : The Pottery Assemblage of Building P4 / N. Marchetti Part 2. Regional Archaeology Exploiting Diversity : Archaeological Sites in the Ebla Region / S. Mantellini, M.G. Micale, and L. Peyronel Trends in Village Life : The Early Bronze Age Phases at Tell Tuqan / F. Baffi and L. Peyronel Assembling the Evidence : Excavated Sites Dating from the Early Bronze Age in and around the Chora of Ebla / E. Ascalone and M. D'Andrea Regional Approach and Archaeological Surveys in Northern Syria : An Overview / S. Mantellini Part 3. Textual Evidence Defining the Chora of Ebla : A Textual Perspective / M.G. Biga Distribution and Exchange of Goods in the Chora of Ebla / G. Ferrero Of Plants and Trees : Crops and Vegetable Resources at Ebla / G. Marchesi Part 4. Geomorphology and Remote Sensing A Land in Its Setting : Remote Sensing Satellite Imagery for the Characterization of the Eblaite Chora / G. Bittelli, E. Mandanici and L. Vittuari Analysis of CORONA Imagery of the Ebla Region / N. Galiatsatos and S. Mantellini From Wetland to Desert : A Geomorphologic Approach to the Eblaite Chora / V. Cantelli, V.M.L. Martina and L. Picotti A Thin Basis : The Soil Landscape of Ebla and Tell Tuqan / A. Arnoldus-Huyzendveld Modern Agriculture in the Ebla Region / P. Rossi, F. Ventura and M. Vignudelli Part 5. Archaeometry and Bioarchaeology Archaeometrical Analysis of Metal Objects from Royal Palace G / A.C. Felici and M. Vendittelli Archaeometrical Analysis of Pottery Production at EB III-IVA Ebla and Tell Tuqan / M.L. Santarelli Archaeometrical Analysis of Architectural Components of Royal Palace G / M.L. Santarelli and G. Spreafico Consuming Plants : Archaeobotanical Samples from Royal Palace G and Building P4 / C. Wachter-Sarkady Forests Near and Far : An Anthracological Perspective at Ebla / V. Caracuta and G. Fiorentino Exploiting Animals : Zooarchaeological Evidence through the Early Bronze Age at Ebla / C. Minniti Natural Resources, Technology and Manufacture Processes at Ebla : A Preliminary Assessment / L. Peyronel and A. Vacca Just at that Time : 14C Determinations and Analyses from EB IVA Layers / L. Calcagnile, G. Quarta, and M. D'Elia Conclusion: Towards a Dynamic Model for the Functioning of the Early State in the Eastern Mediterranean / P. Matthiae and N. Marchetti. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 10 INTRODUCTION. Representing the Chora of Ebla 26 PART 1. TOWN ARCHAEOLOGY 34 CHAPTER 1. A Long Journey. Fifty Years of Research on the Bronze Age at Tell Mardikh/Ebla 36 CHAPTER 2. The Royal Palace. Functions of the Quarters and the Government of the Chora 50 CHAPTER 3. Palace vs. Common Glyptic in Early Syrian Ebla and Its Territory 67 CHAPTER 4. Popular Iconographies in a Courtly Environment. Clay Figurines from Royal Palace G and the Coroplastic of Inner Syria during EB IVA 74 CHAPTER 5. Centralization and Redistribution. The Pottery Assemblage of Royal Palace G 90 CHAPTER 6. Form and Content. A Preliminary Functional Interpretation of the Storage Jars from Royal Palace G 112 CHAPTER 7. Working for the Elites. The Pottery Assemblage of Building P4 132 PART 2. REGIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY 162 CHAPTER 8. Exploiting Diversity. The Archaeological Landscape of the Eblaite Chora 164 CHAPTER 9. Trends in Village Life. The Early Bronze Age Phases at Tell Tuqan 196 CHAPTER 10. Assembling the Evidence. Excavated Sites Dating from the Early Bronze Age in and around the Chora of Ebla 216 CHAPTER 11. Regional Approach and Archaeological Surveys in Northern Syria. An Overview 239 PART 3. TEXTUAL EVIDENCE 258 CHAPTER 12. Defining the Chora of Ebla. A Textual Perspective 260 CHAPTER 13. Distribution and Exchange of Goods in the Chora of Ebla 269 CHAPTER 14. Of Plants and Trees. Crops and Vegetable Resources at Ebla 275 PART 4. GEOMORPHOLOGY AND REMOTE SENSING 294 CHAPTER 15. A Land in Its Setting. Remote Sensing Satellite Imagery for the Characterization of the Eblaite Chora 296 CHAPTER 16. Analysis of CORONA Imagery of the Ebla Region 303 CHAPTER 17. From Wetland to Desert. A Geomorphologic Approach to the Eblaite Chora 317 CHAPTER 18. A Thin Basis. The Soil Landscape of Ebla and Tell Tuqan 325 CHAPTER 19. Modern Agriculture in the Ebla Region 335 PART 5. ARCHAEOMETRY AND BIOARCHAEOLOGY 346 CHAPTER 20. Archaeometrical Analysis of Metal Objects from Royal Palace G 348 CHAPTER 21. Archaeometrical Analysis of Pottery Production at EB III-IVA Ebla and Tell Tuqan 358 CHAPTER 22. Archaeometrical Analysis of Architectural Components of Royal Palace G 368 CHAPTER 23. Consuming Plants. Archaeobotanical Samples from Royal Palace G and Building P4 377 CHAPTER 24. Forests Near and Far. An Anthracological Perspective on Ebla 404 CHAPTER 25. Exploiting Animals. The Zooarchaeological Evidence through the Early Bronze Age at Ebla 414 CHAPTER 26. Natural Resources, Technology and Manufacture Processes at Ebla. A Preliminary Assessment 432 CHAPTER 27. Just at that Time. 14C Determinations and Analysis from EB IVA Layers 451 CONCLUSIONS. In Search of an Explanatory Model for the Early Syrian State of Ebla 460 ABBREVIATIONS 464 REFERENCES 468 INDEX 520 ABOUT THE AUTHORS 530 COLOUR PLATES 538 First major English-language research volume describing the multidisciplinary archaeological research at the famous third millennium BC Syrian site of Ebla, using a regional landscape approach.