Ebla, ten years after. An assessment of the damages

The archaeological excavations at Tell Mardikh, ancient Ebla, forcefully stopped in 2011 because of the political crisis in Syria. Immediately after, with a peak in 2018, the site suffered from illicit excavations and an extensive military occupation on its entire surface that caused heavy destruction of the buildings that were excavated and restored by the Italian expedition and severe changes of the morphology of the ancient city (particularly in the Lower Town and on the rampart). This contribution intends to offer a preliminary overview of the current situation through the analysis of satellite images and observations in the field.