Ebla and Beyond

This book provides an updated overview of recent research on the archaeology and history of Syria in the Bronze and Iron Ages, with the aim to provide an effective outline of how the discoveries at the archaeological site of Tell Mardikh, ancient Ebla, in Northern Inland Syria, challenged several research fields, from archaeology to art history, to the history of religions, to Assyriology and Semitic linguistics. The book collects the proceedings of the International Conference “Ebla and Beyond. Ancient Near Eastern Studies after Fifty Years of Discoveries at Tell Mardikh”, held in Rome in December 2015, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Italian Archaeological Expedition to Ebla. The archaeological section ranging from the Early Bronze Age to the Iron Age, provides insights on material culture, architecture, chronology, funerary practices, settlement patterns, productive activities, international trade and exchange, urbanism and ruralism. Art history is seen from the points of view of seals, stone sculpture, wooden carvings. The philological section provides insights on how the Ebla texts impacted on the history of religions, the study of ancient history, metrology and on how it generally challenged the study of ancient Semitic languages. With its large amount of fresh and unpublished data, the book will be a precious source for academics of several disciplines interested in Near Eastern languages and cultures.