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Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

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B.C. and resumed Egyptian campaigning and tribute-collecting in Palestine (Kuhrt 1995:<br />

185-202). The Uluburun thus sank towards <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> Horemheb’s reign, circa 1300 B.C.<br />

Palestine and North Syria were thus composed <strong>of</strong> many small city-states which<br />

jockeyed among <strong>the</strong>mselves for power while also playing <strong>the</strong> larger powers <strong>of</strong>f one<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r. Each minor king owed his throne to a “Great King,” whe<strong>the</strong>r this was <strong>the</strong><br />

Egyptian pharaoh, or <strong>the</strong> Mitannian or Hittite king, and <strong>the</strong> minor kings had to give<br />

public loyalty to <strong>the</strong> king through gifts/tribute. The Egyptians had administrative centers<br />

in <strong>the</strong> region at Sumur, Gaza, and Kumidi (Kamid-el-Loz), and Canaanite royalty were<br />

sometimes brought up at <strong>the</strong> Egyptian court (Kuhrt 1995: 324-328). Meanwhile, <strong>from</strong><br />

1500/1480-1350/1340 B.C., <strong>the</strong> Mitanni controlled an area stretching <strong>from</strong> northwest<br />

Iran, through north Iraq and <strong>the</strong> very north <strong>of</strong> Syria to <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>astern corner <strong>of</strong> Anatolia<br />

(<strong>the</strong> western boundary in <strong>the</strong> vicinity <strong>of</strong> Maraş, where <strong>the</strong> elephant bone samples hail<br />

<strong>from</strong> for this present <strong>the</strong>sis). This region included <strong>the</strong> city-states <strong>of</strong> Alalakh (Tell<br />

Atchana), Aleppo, Emar, Taide, Alshe, Ugarit (held briefly), and <strong>the</strong> regions <strong>of</strong> Assyria<br />

(north Iraq) and Arrapha (Kirkuk region) (Yener 2001; Kuhrt 1995: 283-296). Two city-<br />

states which shall figure prominently in <strong>the</strong> consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ivory trade are Alalakh<br />

and Ugarit. Alalakh is located in <strong>the</strong> Amuq Plain (also known as <strong>the</strong> Plain <strong>of</strong> Antioch), a<br />

region which was home to elephants and hippopotami, and has yielded a number <strong>of</strong> ivory<br />

artifacts. Ugarit, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, was a major trading center with specialized craft<br />

production in ivoryworking, metalworking, purple-dyed textiles, and furniture (<strong>of</strong>ten<br />

inlaid with ivory). The city’s port at Minet el-Beida channeled North Syrian goods to<br />

Cyprus and far<strong>the</strong>r west, and acted as a major supplier <strong>of</strong> grain to <strong>the</strong> Hittites through<br />

Cilicia (Kuhrt 1995: 300-303).<br />

6

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