Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace
Tell Bi'a · Tuttul
Early Bronze III to Old Babylonian (2600–1700 BCE)·Eblaite / Amorite Mariote·🇸🇾 Raqqa Governorate, Euphrates confluence, Syria
Bertramz · CC BY-SA 3.0
About
About Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace
Bi'a excavated by Einwag & Otto 1981–, 2400 BCE Early Dynastic palace with Tuttul/Dagan texts, later Amorite palace of Yasmah-Adad. Recorded context — Period: Early Bronze III to Old Babylonian (2600–1700 BCE); Culture: Eblaite / Amorite Mariote; Field status: excavated; Materials: mudbrick, plaster; Condition: ruins.
Why it mattersKey Eblaite / Amorite Mariote tell with stratified sequence and regional typology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Collapse cause
- 02Trade network extent
Theories
- 01Defensive stronghold
- 02Seasonal gathering
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2600 BCE city; Palace A 2400 BCE; Palace B 1800 BCE
- Period
- Early Bronze III to Old Babylonian (2600–1700 BCE)
- Culture
- Eblaite / Amorite Mariote
- Purpose
- Palace-city at Balikh-Euphrates confluence — Tuttul sacred to Dagan, Mari dependency
- Rediscovered
- Modern excavation 1948
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2600 BCE city; Palace A 2400 BCE; Palace B 1800 BCE
Initial construction / first occupation at Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace
c. 1500 BCE major extension
Major expansion / refurbishment at Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace
1890 excavation
Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace
On the ground
Structures & features
35.9350° N · 39.0200° E · 250 m · 4 mapped features
- Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — Principal Palacepalacepalace at Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — outlier feature35.9364° N · 39.0204° E
- Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — Temple Annex 2templetemple at Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — subsidiary complex35.9359° N · 39.0188° E
- Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — Gate Annex 3gategate at Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — hydraulic feature35.9331° N · 39.0219° E
- Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — Eastern Palacepalacepalace at Tell Bi'a — Tuttul Palace Terrace — hydraulic feature35.9366° N · 39.0195° E
Gallery