The city of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra

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Bibliographic Information

The city of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra

Marguerite Yon

Eisenbrauns, 2006

Other Title

Cité d'Ougarit sur le tell de Ras Shamra

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Original title from CIP data

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Description and Table of Contents

Description

In 1929, a farmer accidentally discovered a tomb near the Mediterranean coast of Syria, about 12 km north of the modern seaport of Latakia. Initial excavations at the tell of Ras Shamra by Rene Dussaud and Claude Schaeffer brought to light impressive architectural remains, numerous artifacts, and tablets written in cuneiform (both alphabetic and syllabic), and the excavators soon were able to identify the site as the ancient city of Ugarit. Much of the material remains came to be dated to the end of the Late Bronze Age, from the 14th century through the 12th century b.c.e., and the religious, economic, and mythological texts from that era have had a major effect on our understanding of the history of the late 2nd millennium. However, by that time the site had already seen more than 6,000 years of occupation, and the data from Ras Shamra-Ugarit thus have become important as a reference point for the early history of the Near East along the Levantine coast and the eastern Mediterranean. In this volume, Marguerite Yon, the principal investigator since the early 1970s on behalf of the French archaeological team, brings us up to date on the 70-year-long excavation of the site. During the past 25 years, much of our understanding of the site itself has changed, due to new excavations, reexcavation, and reinterpretation of prior excavations. This volume is the authoritative latest word on the data from the site and their meaning for our understanding of the importance of ancient Ugarit. This work is heavily illustrated, including many black-and-white and color photographs.

Table of Contents

Foreword: The Discovery Introduction: History of Excavations Chapter 1: Geography and History The Site and Setting Prehistory and Protohistory: 8th-2nd Millennia B.C.E. The Kingdom and Its Written Documents 14th-12th Centuries B.C.E. The End of Civilization ca/1185 B.C.E. City Planning Chapter 2: Description of the Tell Tour of the Tell The Royal Fortress and the City Ramparts The Royal Zone The House of Yabninu (The So-Called 'South Palace' or 'Small Palace') The Northwest Area beyond the Royal Zone The North Palace The 'Oven House' and Plaza The Residential Quarter 'City Center' Access to the City from the South South City Trench South Acropolis Trench Persian Period Settlement Sondage SH: A Major Stratigraphic Sounding The Acropolis and the Great Temples The Lower City The East Terrace Chapter 3: Artifacts Illustrating Official and Everyday Life Tablets Written in Ugaritic (Alphabetic Cuneiform) Tablets Written in Other Languages Seals and Scarabs Stone Statues Metal Statues Stone Stelae Ivories of the Royal Palace Objects of Ivory Syrian Pottery Commercial Jars Imported Pottery from the West Syrian Vessels Related to the Cult Funnels Related to the Cult (Rhytons) Cultic Objects Cultic Objects (Clay Models and Figurines) Faience Stone Vases and Instruments Stone Tools Gold Vessels Gold Jewelry Prestige Weapon in Iron, Copper, and Gold Weapons of Bronze Tools and Instruments of Bronze Objects from the Persian Period Selected Bibliography and Abbreviations Indexes

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