these two areas, it is now possible to start to identify, not models, but rather some
common traits, characteristically related to royal ceremonies.
As regards artistic achievements, it is probably easier to identify, in the marked
originality of the Early Syrian artistic productions, a stronger properly Eblaic character.
In fact, it is almost certain that at Ebla they created refined palace fittings, like the
precious wooden furniture (Figure 28. 14 ), used in the Royal Palace, which was
appreciated for a long time in far-away regions (Pinnock 2006 a). It is also quite likely
that Ebla was the centre for the elaboration of a royal ideology quite different from
the Mesopotamian one, and which manifested itself also in images, by means of a well-
defined identification of the king’s figure, and of the constant presence of court ladies,
some of whom certainly belonged to the priesthood, albeit taking part directly in the
palace life, ceremonies, and administration. Also the relationship between kingship and
the gods was definitely different from the southern Mesopotamian one, and was
certainly influenced by the fact that already in the Early Syrian period the Ebla kings
were deified after death. This may be inferred from the written evidence, and in
particular from the texts concerning the ritual for the renewal of kingship: royal
mausolea were the destination of the king and queen during the ceremony (Fronzaroli
1993 : 6 , 12 , 14 – 15 ) and in particular the mausoleum in Nenasˇ – probably the most
important one – was usually called é ma-da-am 6 /ma-dím/ma-tim, interpreted as “house
of the dead” (Fronzaroli 1993 : 39 ). In the same text, offerings are presented ‘to the deity
of ’ three dead kings of Ebla (Fronzaroli 1993 : 13 , 40 ). A vaulted hypogeum, located
below the floors of the Western Unit of the Royal Palace G has been interpreted as a
royal tomb, though it was either never employed, or completely pillaged, and was
therefore completely empty.
The town dominated a large territory stretching from the Hama region to the south,
to the banks of the Euphrates to the north, to the coastal mountains running parallel
to the Mediterranean sea coast to the west, and also quite largely to the east, in the
steppe region, which was mostly occupied by transhumant shepherds, who, unlike
what happened in Mesopotamia, were not in contrast with, but rather a complement
–– Frances Pinnock ––Figure 28.14 Fragment of a carved inlaid wooden chair from the Royal Palace G,
Early Bronze IVA (© Missione Archeologica Italiana in Siria)