From the Treasures of Syria presents perspectives on the art and archaeology of ancient Syria, authored by a number of leading experts. The volume is a tribute to Stefania Mazzoni, Professor of Near Eastern Archeology at the University of Florence.
The important site of Tell Afis, where S. Mazzoni worked for many years, is represented by special studies on ceramics and figurines, all from levels investigated very comprehensibly at Afis, and which cover the transition from the Late Bronze Age through the Iron Age. Finds from Afis are also the focus in other articles, like a fragmentary stele studied by A. Otto, who extends perspectives on iconographic elements back into the early Neolithic. The analysis of iconography is an important subject in several other papers, which study seals, obelisks, and carved ivories. Other contributions present results of excavations at important sites in Syria and the Levant, such as Amrith, the Southern Gate at Zincirli and its sculptured slabs, and the early Third Millennium palace at Tell el-‛Abd. Tell Atchana/Alalakh, Ugarit, Tell Mozan, Tell Banat, and Tell Fekheriye are represented by studies and interpretations of statues, seals, and ceramics.