Diplomacy and Divorce in Ancient Ugarit: The Case of the "Daughter of the Great Lady"

In the political landscape of the Late Bronze Age alliances were not just political but often personal. Marriages and divorces between kingdoms were not just personal but matters of state. Prior to the collapse of the Bronze Age world Ugarit was an important commercial city that forged a series of marriage alliances with the Amorite kingdom of Amurru to their south. A series of texts found at Ras Shamra - ancient Ugarit - provide an outline of one of these personal dramas that played out in the mid-thirteenth century and had wide reaching impacts. With some educated guesses we can fill in some gaps an tell the story of Ammittamru II and his wife - known only to us as the "bittu rabiti" or the "Daughter of the Great Lady."

#ancienthistory #archaeology #history #ancientcivilizations #bronzeage #collapse #royaldivorce #royalmarriage #hittites #amorites

Music: Epidemic Sound

Regarding AI: We understand the use of AI is polarizing. We get it. We are trying to find a good balance between it’s use and avoidance. We know that for many people being able to picture the past helps to connect to it. We also know that AI generated images can be jarring and distracting. We always prefer to show artifacts and archaeological relevant material but this is not always an option. We don’t want this to be a hindrance to speaking about episodes of history where the likenesses of the individuals and events involved are forever lost. In these instances we believe AI may be a tool that helps to bring their stories to life in a way narration or artifacts do not. So, again, we are attempting to find a balance between avoiding it altogether while also presenting the past in a way people can connect to. We love archaeology and history and want to bring that passion to as many people as possible. If AI isn’t your cup of tea - we totally get it. We ask for your patience as we all find the best way to present the past with the tools available to us. Thanks!

For more information check out:
Itamar Singer, "A Political History of Ugarit," in Handbook of Ugaritic Studies vol 39. Leiden: Brill, 1999. 603-733.

Itamar Singer, "A Concise History of Amurru," in Amurru Akkadian: A Linguistic Study. Volume 2. Leiden: Brill, 1991. 135-195.

Claude Schaeffer, Le palais royal d'Ugarit, IV. Textes accadiens des archives sud (archives internationales). Vol. I: Texte. Vol. II: Planches. Paris: Imprimerie nationale, 1956.