Definition: Ebla is the name of an Early Bronze Age archaeological site in northern Syria, occupied beginnning in the 4th millennium BC through the 7th century AD. The site is most important because it is associated with the Mesopotamian ruler Ibbit-Lim, known from cuneiform and Egyptian documents. Found at the site were thousands of whole or nearly whole clay tablets with impressed cuneiform writing, documenting administrative texts, letters, treaties, literary text, in fact a library of information concerning the Ebla way of life. Excavations at Ebla were conducted by an Italian team led by Paolo Matthiae in the mid-1960s.
This glossary entry is part of the
Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the
front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of
Kris Hirst.
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