The Neolithic Period through the Middle Bronze Age

The earliest evidence for human occupation at Ugarit comes from the seventh millennium bc, when Neolithic farmers, hunters, and fishermen established themselves at the city. This earliest period of settlement is characterized by agriculture, quadrangular-plan houses with plaster floors, and fired ceramics (Level V). These features are shared by many other sites in the near region, including Amuq, Tell Sukas, and Byblos (Yon, “Ugarit,” 258; Yon, “Ugarit: History and Archaeology,” 698–99; Curtis, Ugarit, 34; Xella, Terra di Baal, 29–31; Saadé, Ougarit, 65–66).

Evidence from the Chalcolithic period (Levels IV and IIIC-B) indicates a significant reduction in the city’s population. Decorated ceramics characteristic of the Halaf civilization, also found throughout northern Mesopotamia and Syria at this same time, concurrently appear (Level IV). The metal copper is first attested in the archaeological record by the end of the Chalcolithic period (Level III C-B) (Yon, “Ugarit,” 258; Yon, “Ugarit: History and Archaeology,” 699; Curtis, Ugarit, 34–35; Xella, Terra di Baal, 31–33; Saadé, Ougarit, 67).

The Early Bronze Age (Level III A) begins with an increase in the city’s occupation and the construction of small streets and ramparts. Extant ceramics reflect styles elsewhere in the Levant, such as Khirbet Kerak ware found in Palestine. Metallurgy quickly developed, as indicated by the discovery of significant numbers of bronze weaponry and tools. However, close to the end of the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2200 bc), the city came to be abandoned, as is the case with many sites throughout the Levant (Yon, “Ugarit,” 258; Yon, “Ugarit: History and Archaeology,” 699; Curtis, Ugarit, 34–35; Xella, Terra di Baal, 33–34; Saadé, Ougarit, 67–68).

Evidence suggests renewed habitation ca. 2000 bc with the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age (Level II). This reoccupation coincides with the arrival of nomadic peoples such as the Amorites in the Levant. Those who settled at Ugarit, especially at the city’s acropolis, were highly skilled at metallurgy during this time, as indicated by the presence of tomb ornaments, weaponry, and tools. Many Egyptian objects have also been found at Level II of the city, including a pearl bearing the name of the Egyptian pharaoh Sesostris I (mid-20th century bc) and a statue of Chnoutmet, daughter of Amenemhet II (ca. 1900 bc). Evidence for architectural structures is lacking for the Middle Bronze I, but excavations have revealed significant growth during the Middle Bronze II—III periods when the city significantly expanded, covering almost the entire surface of the tell. Significant new structures from this time include the Hurrian temple, the North Palace, and ramparts built around the city. By the end of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1650 bc), the city seems to have been abandoned once again, although its key structures remained intact (Yon, “Ugarit,” 258; Yon, “Ugarit: History and Archaeology,” 699–700; Xella, Terra di Baal, 34–37; Saadé, Ougarit, 68–69).