There were many goldsmiths in the city of Ugarit. A large number of objects made of precious metal have been found in well-demarcated areas scattered throughout the city. One such item is this elegant dagger of solid gold, with its flattened handle engraved in a decorative palm-branch design. It was discovered in a collection of items, also made of noble metal, which had been hidden with other pieces in a terra cotta jar. Ugarit derived great profit from the Mediterranean trade and, it is thought, from trade in luxury metal products fashioned by its skillful craftsmen.
Provenance: Ugarit - Ras Shamra.
Era: Late Bronze Age (circa 1300 BC).
Dimensions: 27.2 x 3 x .4 cm.
Weight: 200 grams.
Photography: Nicholas Randall.
Collection of the National Museum of damascus.
Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.
Highlights of the National Museum of Damascus. Ministry of Culture, Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) 2006.
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