Ougarit

Ougarit is an old city of the Raising, current the Ras Shamra initially named Ras will ech-Chamra (“the hill of fennel”), close to Lattaquié in current the Syria. This capital of the old kingdom éponyme is located at the crossing and the outlet of a road which joint the the Mediterranean with the basin mésopotamien, the junction of the Empire hittite with the north and Egyptian sphere of influence in the south and whose apogee is located at the turning of

Excavations

The site of Ougarit was not directly discovered, but following an incident which has occurred on the site close to Minet el-Beida, old Mahadu, the port of Ougarit. In 1928, peasant there discovered old fall, which drew the attention of the French archeologists C. Schæffer and R. Dussaud, which excavated the site, before carrying out other prospections in the neighborhoods. They then reflect at the day the ruins of Ougarit, on the Tel. most important of the area of Lattaquié, Ras Shamra. The excavations continue since, directed by teams of French archeologists until the years 1970, then a free-Syrian woman team which extended research in all the back-country of Ougarit. If the site of Pussy el-Beida is currently impossible to excavate because of the proximity of a naval base, another important site of the old kingdom of Ougarit is that of Ras Ibn Hani, located along the sea at 5 kilometers at the south-west of Short-nap cloth Shamra, where two palates built for the royal family are. The site even of Short-nap cloth Shamra was still excavated only for 1/6e of its surface. One excavated the principal monuments there, but also districts of dwelling. The architecture of the city was primarily made out of stone, which ensured a good conservation of all the frame, and gives to this site a tourist attraction considerable. Another reason of the success of the excavations of this site is abundant documentation in shelves Cunéiforme S, in several languages, which was exhumed there.

The kingdom

History

An archaeological survey made go up the habitat with Ougarit with the Neolithic . But the excavations did not concern that the period of Recent Bronze, between 14th and it. Before this period, the city is mentioned in the files of Mari (v. 1810-1760). This city is then vassal powerful kingdom of the Yamkhad (Alep), and the king of Mari, Zimri-Lim, combined of king d' Alep, accomplishes a voyage there.

Our knowledge of the history of Ougarit is good only starting from the middle of the 14th century. This kingdom is then directed by Ammistamrou I {{er}}, and is vassal Egypt. The following king, Niqmaddou II, passes under the domination hittite when the king of this state Suppiluliuma Ier subjects the Syria North. He concludes a treaty from vassalage with his new suzerain. His/her son Ar-Halba takes part in a revolt of vassal Syrians against the king hittite according to, Mursili II, which succeeds in overcoming the rebels. Ar-Halba is then détrôné by its brother Niqmepa (1332-1260), which is subjected to Mursili II, and a new treaty with him concludes.

After this episode, kings d' Ougarit remain the vassal faithful ones to Hittites, which they support in the various conflicts that they carry out, in particular against Egypt. To died of Niqmepa, his/her son Ammistamrou II (1260-1230) goes up on the throne of Ougarit. Its reign is marked by the episode of its divorce with the girl of the king Benteshina of Amurru, another vassal of Hittites. After the death of Ammistamrou II, Ibiranou (1230-1210) succeeds to him, then Niqmaddou III (1210-1200). At this period, they are the kings of Karkemish, resulting from the royal line hittite, who generally ensure the control of Syria by Hatti. They thus intervene on the occasion in the businesses of the kingdom of Ougarit. It is also of this moment which date the majority from the found epigraphic sources with Short-nap cloth-Shamra.

Some Hammourabi succeed Niqmaddou II at the beginning of the 12th century. At this point in time the invasions of those occur which one names the Peuples of the Sea. It is during this chaotic period, which sees the destruction of the kingdom hittite and many Syrian cities, that Ougarit is taken, plundered and destroyed. She is not inhabited any more afterwards.

Political organization

The first character of the kingdom ougaritic is the king (ougaritic mlk ). According to the ideology common to the states of the old East, it is at its station because it was chosen by the gods (gods having a sovereign aspect being El and Baal). It directs the administration, justice, and in theory the army, but one seldom sees sovereigns ougaritic carrying on a military activity. The king has in any case only little autonomy concerning his international policy, which is dictated by its suzerain hittite.

The direct entourage of the king is trained by his family, and the dignitaries of the kingdom. The queen ( mlk.t ) is the principal wife of the king, and it keeps this title until its death, even if her husband dies out before it. It is the mother of the heir to the throne, indicated by his/her father of alive sound.

At the administrative level, the main character is the Prime Minister ( skn ). The kingdom is divided into several districts. The local government is with the hands of “mayors”, agents of the royal capacity, being used as relay with the authorities of the local communities, which seem to be councils the Old ones, or the notable ones.

Company

The ougaritic company according to the texts is divided into two groups: “men of the king” and “wire of Ougarit”.

The first are the members of the administration palatiale, depend thus on the sovereign. They exert a trade in relation to the palate. They are thus administrators, craftsmen, merchants, who are remunerated in rations or fields of subsistence. In this last case, the ground is attached to the service, even if it seems that these grounds tend to being suitable by the tenants who try to make them pass to their successor. The second group is primarily made up rural the, alive one in village communities and working for their own account on fields their pertaining.

These two units are not strictly opposite: certain characters of notable row can exert a service on behalf of the sovereign, and thus return in the first category, while having beside the properties which they exploit freely.

Beside the group of the free men, there existed also a servile class, undoubtedly limited enough of number.

Economy

Agriculture

The principal activity of Ougarit was agriculture. The territory of the kingdom was a very good agricultural soil, favourable with the culture of the “Mediterranean trilogy”: Cereal S, Vine and olive-tree S.

The fields could either belong to the palate, or to be the possession of private individuals. In the first case, they either were allotted as field of subsistence to a private individual in exchange of a function (administrative, military, commercial, artisanal) exerted on behalf of the palates, or conceded with farmers.

The grounds apart from the possessions of the palate, about which we only are informed very little, were undoubtedly exploited in an independent way.

The soil was organized according to the association of a house with a ground, according to the system of “household”. There existed also a more important economic unit ( WP , literally “turn”, undoubtedly a strengthened farm).

Trade

Ougarit has a privileged geographical position for the maritime trade, because it is about the only port of the northern littoral of the Syria, between Byblos and the Cilicie. So it is the only possible maritime outlet for all the area of the Means Euphrate. Beside that an active terrestrial trade also existed along the Mediterranean coastline, but also towards the interior of the grounds. Ougarit drew from it with recent Bronze a very great prosperity, which explains the great richness of this city at the time of the sources which best document us on it.

The trade related to product various: Wine, Olive oil, matters textile and of the dyes for the products exported by Ougarit, while other products, like the Cypriot Copper or other metals coming from Anatolia forwarded by this port. Many objects coming from various places of the Mediterranean world (Egypt, Cyprus, Greece mycénienne) were discovered at the time of the excavations of Short-nap cloth Shamra and Minet el Beida.

The merchants ( mkr ) belonged to the category of the “men of the king”, who achieved a service on behalf of the palate in exchange of a remuneration in ration or a field of subsistence. But nothing prevented them from making deals for their own account at side. The merchants also had a financial activity, and carried out loans. They were organized in family firms, having several intermediaries in other commercial places. Contrary, foreign merchants settled in Ougarit, city very gravitational for the exercise of the trade with long distance.

The city

The town of Ougarit is largest by far of the kingdom. Its ruins currently form a Tel. of more than 25 hectares. Of share and others of this one, two rivers, Nahr ED-Delbe and Nahr Chbayyeb, run in direction of the sea.

Two other sites of notable importance of the old kingdom of Ougarit were also excavated: Pussy el-Beida, the Mahadou antique, the port of Ougarit, and Close-cropped Ibn Hani, a residence palatiale located on a peninsula overhanging the Mediterranean at the west of the capital. Agglomerations of less importance were put at the day in the plain of Crozed, more in the south.

Town planning

Ougarit was divided into various residential districts, including one certain number was excavated. The houses were gathered in small islands, separated by often thin and tortuous streets. Their size is very variable: from 50 with more than 500 m ² for those of richest. There was no separation of space by the richness, the dwellings of richest côtoyant those of most modest. The residences generally comprised a stage, the ground floor being devoted to storage and work, as well as hydraulic installations for the water supply (well, drains). Certain houses provided batches of private archives. The residential districts also comprised buildings where one devoted oneself to an artisanal activity, as well as small temples.

Sector palatial

The zone where was royal palace is located at the North-West of the Tel., separated from the remainder of the city. It is organized around a central court. Separately palate itself, one found a room of reception there, a room for the garrison of the palate, the apartments of the queen-mother as well as a vault. The residences certain senior officials had been built more in the south.

The palate in itself covers 7000 m ². It is known that it comprised a stage, where were the royal apartments as well as an administrative space, which crumbled after the destruction of the site. One finds a necropolis with the basement, according to the Syrian tradition. The palate comprises a protected entry, a throne room, as well as a garden in its part is.

The Acropolis

The zone known as of the Acropolis was in the North-East of the city, and overhung the remainder of the districts of dwellings. It is undoubtedly the crowned zone of the city, since the temple of two large divinities was found there: Baal and Dagan. They had both the shape of a tower, which enabled them to be visible by far. In the vicinity, the house of the “Large Priest” was the place of discovered various religious, ritual texts and accounts mythological.

Religion

Craft industry

The craftsmen of Ougarit were qualified in many fields: Pottery, Metallurgy, Goldsmithery, work of the Ivory, Textile, and also that of the work of the vitreous matters. The kingdom ougaritéen thus produced an significant amount of luxury articles puvant to be exported.

Ceramics

The Céramique produced in Ougarit often rather coarse, without decorations, or is painted. The forms attested in great number are the earthenware jars, tankards, craters or of the biconical vases. The painted pottery is generally with only one color, selected among a nuance of red or black. The reasons represented can be of geometrical type, or illustrated, taking again animalist, or mythological topics. If the repertory takes as a starting point funds syro-Levantine, there is nevertheless a certain originality in the work of the potters of Ougarit.

Sculpture

Artists of Ougarit have certain predilection for steles on stone, including one certain number were found, of which most famous is the Stele of the “Baal with the lightning”, today with the Musée of Louvre. Relatively little statues in sculpture in the round reached us, the most remarkable example being the statue representing the god El sitted on a throne, carried out in a typically Syrian style, since she points out works in the same way standard coming from Qatna. All these objects of beautiful invoice testify to the existence of a good school of sculptors on stone in the kingdom ougaritéen.

Metallurgy and goldsmithery

The craft industry of metal is rather well attested in Ougarit. One found workshops of metallurgists and goldsmiths, who delivered moulds, intended to manufacture tools (axes, scissors, blades), or many jewels. One used on all the Bronze, and also the Fer, as well as more invaluable metals like the Or for the luxury articles.

Among the production of the metallurgists of Ougarit, one notes the presence of many small bronze statuettes, finely carried out, representing divinities in sitting position or upright. Certain objects of crockery of luxury belong to the most beautiful objets d'art found in the city. One thus found two gold cuts finely decorated close to the temple to Baal, of which the “patère of hunting”, named thus because one of its two registers represents a royal hunting.

Ivory

The craftsmen workers in ivory of Ougarit worked the Ivoire of Hippopotame like that of elephant. One of works most remarkable of this type is a panel of bed carved found in the royal palace, exciting representative of the scenes the royal figure (drives out, war), and the devotion of the sovereign to the gods. The majority of the objects out of ivory come from a funerary context. They of small size, and rather finely are generally carried out. One found many make-up boxes, which one meets in other sites Levantines. One of chief-of works of the workers in ivory ougaritéens is the “lady with the ibexes”, carved in relief on what seems to be the lid of a pyxide. It represents a goddess of fruitfulness nourishing two ibexes with branches.

Vitreous matters

Vases and other objects made out of “earthenware” (actually a glaçurée silicieuse paste) are found in Ougarit as in all Raising it of the Bronze Age average and recent. It is often about Céramique S of a rather luxurious type, carrying decorations sometimes testifying to Egyptian influences and Aegean.

Scribes of Ougarit

Commercial city par excellence, Ougarit is of this fact a very cosmopolitan place. That is found in the fact that one found there documents in eight languages and four different writings. One is thus in the presence of the Ougaritique, noted in Alphabet ougaritic, wedge-shaped, of the Akkadien, the Sumérien, the hittite and the Hourrite, written in Cunéiforme S traditional, of the Egyptian , in Hiéroglyphes, of the Chypro-Minoan, written in his own spelling-book, and of the Louvite, in Hiéroglyphes hittites.

The scribes ougaritéens according to the most traditional course were at least to know the akkadien, with rudiments of sumérien nécessaies to the comprehension of the wedge-shaped writing, in addition to their native tongue, the ougaritique one. The training of these languages was done by the traditional method developped at the point in Mésopotamie: lexical Lists presenting words of a language with their equivalent in another, and exercises of copies. This training could be done from the ougaritique one and of its alphabetical writing. One thus mixed the funds traditional mésopotamien with the local framework. Certain scribes could then specialize in a certain field, or learn from other languages and writings.

The opposition between local tradition and mésopotamienne is found in work arts persons attested in Ougarit. One thus put at the day of the traditional texts of the literature suméro-akkadienne, written in akkadien. The compositions suitable for Ougarit were they written in the local language and the writing: these are large mythological texts, of which most famous is the Cycle of Baal, or many ritual monks. One obviously did not translate texts from one language to another. From the point of view of the practice, administrative acts concerning the interior matters of the kingdom, as well as the local correspondence were mainly written into ougaritic, and a little in akkadien. The texts treating of the international businesses were written exclusively in akkadien, language of diplomacy of the time, also employed in the legal field.

See too

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