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

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Tell Fakhariyah has only yielded examples <strong>of</strong> worked ivory (Liebowitz 1987: 19).<br />

However, by far <strong>the</strong> most spectacular example <strong>of</strong> ivory-working in LBA Syria comes<br />

<strong>from</strong> Ugarit (Ras Shamra), a LBA trade center with its bustling port <strong>of</strong> Minet el Beida.<br />

Caubet and Poplin (1993) have shown that more than three-quarters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ivory objects<br />

<strong>from</strong> Ugarit (Ras Shamra) are made <strong>from</strong> hippopotamus canines and incisors. The LBA<br />

palace at Ugarit exhibits two destruction episodes: <strong>the</strong> first circa 1370/1350 B.C. and <strong>the</strong><br />

second around 1180, thus placing almost all <strong>the</strong> luxury items <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> site in <strong>the</strong> 140 year<br />

period <strong>of</strong> 1320-1180 B.C. (Lilyquist 1998: 27, citing a personal communication with<br />

Caubet). All in all <strong>the</strong>re are approximately 350 ivory objects, most <strong>of</strong> which have not<br />

been published (Gachet 1993: 67-70). These objects include items <strong>from</strong> daily life such as<br />

combs (see Figure 27), duck-shaped boxes (to be discussed in more detail below),<br />

circular boxes, pyxides, discs/lids, and spindles and rods.<br />

The distribution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> daily life objects and more uncommon objects, such as<br />

figurines and furniture inlays, suggests that ivory was indeed a luxury item. In Ugarit <strong>the</strong><br />

Figure 27: <strong>Ivory</strong> comb <strong>from</strong> Ugarit (Ras Shamra). Poplin has examined one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> combs<br />

and determined it was made <strong>of</strong> elephant ivory (Gachet 1993: 68, figure 2b).<br />

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