Meeting ID: 980 4425 7482
Code secret: 590657
Khozama al-Bahlul
DGAM Syria – Lataquié, co-Director of Ras-Shamra’s mission – Ugarit, Syria
Valérie Matoïan
Research Director at CNRS, Director of Ras-Shamra’s mission – Ugarit, Syria
Summary
The excavations in the fortification zone began in 2005 and continue to the present day. The area is located on the southwestern side of the city. Our objectives were twofold: to investigate the structure and continuity of the rampart in this sector and to determine whether any architectural constructions were built directly on top of the city wall.
From the very first season, we were able to achieve these goals. We uncovered the rampart itself and discovered a large building constructed directly above the city wall.
The significance of this building lies primarily in its strategic location: it overlooks the port of Minet el‑Beida on one side and lies in close proximity to the Royal Palace on the other.
This structure provides new evidence regarding the architectural character and social practices of Ugarit. For the first time at the site, we identified a courtyard dedicated to ritual activities, functioning as a sanctuary, where votive offerings and an altar stela were found together in the same context.
In addition, the building yielded important new data on funerary architecture, including previously unknown features.