Patterns for open-air museum knowledge. Woody plant records outline daily life at the Bronze Age of Ebla (N.E) and the coheval lake-side settlement of Ledro (N-Italy)

Cedar looks to be extensively used in the Kingly Palaces of the ancient city in BA.IV A. A wealthy kingdom with a great Royal Palace that has yielded an archive with thousands of mud-brick tablets. These have revealed a wealthy of information about the political organisation, economy, history and religion of the city, which was an important commercial centre, exporting valuable furnishings, woollen cloths to surrounding countries. Wooden furniture often carved look to be inlaid with mother-of-pearl or stone and even gold/silver plated. Charcoal of valuable wood, cedar, belongs to the Early Bronze Age city. This timber is best used for furniture and carpentry. After the destruction of the settlement a variety of timber look to be employed in the rebuilding the new city mostly Pinus pinea group, Quercus sp.decid. gr., Acer sp. Olea sp., Populus sp., Cornus sp. These taxa suggesting presence of stands of mediterranean maquis not in the distance and the will to rebuilt quickly using wood within reach. Chronologically referable to Middle Bronze is the Temple D. The findings of olive-branches suggest its growing in the nearby. Olive wood is long lasting and much used for carving in the Near East especially for tools and turnery works. Besides cedar tree the only other wood mentioned in the account of the Book of the King is olive wood [Meiggs,1982]. In the Minoan Palaces of Festòs 2000B.C. a likely dowel into a yearly beam in the carpentry happens to be of this timber [Coccolini & Corona,1982]. In Northern Italy at the lovely lake-shore Bronze Age settlement of Ledro many objects for everyday life were timber-made showing an extraordinary use of wood [Coccolini, 2006]. Dogwood timber can be polished or sculptured as it has a compact texture and a fine grain. Fruit-stones of Cornelian Cherry have also been recovered from the layers of lake-shore site. Nowadays in Northern Italy and in France a wine is made with Cornelian Cherry fruits.