Bronze Age economy at Emar (Syria)
Situated at the juncture of the region’s land and water routes Emar (Meskene) was a vital crossroads for trade, east-west relations, and travel by water to Babylon, Mari, and the lands of the Hittites. The city of Emar did not play an extraordinary political role, but from the third millennium it was one of the principal elements in the system that dominated the economic life.
With numerous samples from Early and Late Bronze Age contexts the development of the economy and environment will be investigated.
Analysis is still in progress, thus only preliminary results from mainly Early Bronze Age levels are available [pdf]
Riehl, S. 2010, Maintenance of agricultural stability in a changing environment – the archaeobotanical evidence at Emar. In: Emar after the closure of the Tabqa Dam The Syrian – German Excavations 1996-2002. Volume I: Late Roman and Medieval Cemeteries and Environmental Studies. [pdf]