Dame di corte a Ebla. Aspetto, ruoli e funzioni delle donne in una grande corte protosiriana

One of the most interesting and peculiar aspects of the Early Syrian culture of Ebla is the special role women head at the court. They certainly had a strong influence on the court, and their role became a specific feature of the pre-classical Syrian culture. Here the visual evidence from Ebla is presented, concerning how women were depicted. Thanks to the accurate analysis of both the visual and written evidences from Ebla, it was possible to single out four main typologies of court attires, which I try to connect with different actions in the court.

One of the most interesting and peculiar aspects of the Early Syrian culture of Ebla, as frequently stressed in the works of the Italian Archaeological Expedition to Syria, is the special role women head at the court. They certainly had a strong influence on the court, and their role became a specific feature of the pre-classical Syrian culture, as is possible to see in all the periods, until the moment that culture finally collapse, becoming a part of the Persian Empire. Here, I will present mainly the visual evidence from Ebla, concerning how women were depicted, and, connecting these images with the textual evidence, I will propose some considerations about their actions in society. Thanks to the accurate analysis of both the visual and written evidences from Ebla, it was possible to single out four main typologies of court attires, which I try to connect with different actions in the court.