Early Bronze IVB at Ebla. Stratigraphy, chronology, and material culture of the late Early Syrian town and their meaning in the regional context

In the historical-archaeological sequence of Ebla, Early Bronze IVB (ca. 2300-2000 BC) corresponds to the late Early Syrian period, i.e., the time-span between the destruction of the Early Bronze IVA (ca. 2450-2300 BC) settlement and societal regeneration in the period of the Amorite dynasties of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000-1600 BC). While the site’s name is mentioned in texts from southern Mesopotamia, dating from the last century of the 3rd millennium BC, which attest to Ebla’s role in inter-regional trade and exchange at that time, until a few years ago, very little was known of the Early Bronze IVB occupation in terms of stratigraphy, architecture, and settlement layout. In fact, until 2004, the Early Bronze IVB exposure was very limited, and most of the materials were found in secondary contexts. The 2004-2008 excavations at Tell Mardikh uncovered substantial architectural evidence for the late Early Syrian town and a long stratigraphic sequence that now allows us to re-evaluate this phase of life of the settlement. The paper presents a general outline of stratigraphy, architecture, and material culture of Ebla during the last phase of the Early Bronze Age, and uses the stratigraphic and material culture correlates to discuss the main historical-archaeological issues in the study of the period at the site and in North-Western Inland Syria.