How was Ugarit discovered and excavated?

The ancient city of Ugarit was located at the artificial mound of Ras Shamra on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria. Its ruins were first uncovered by the plow of a local peasant at Al-Bayḍā Bay.1

Following this initial discovery, formal excavations began in 1929 under the direction of the French archaeologist Claude F.A. Schaeffer. Schaeffer conducted research at the site from 1929 to 1939 and continued his work there following World War II.12

These excavations revealed a rich stratigraphic sequence of settlements dating from the 7th millennium BCE through the city's destruction around 1200 BCE. Among the most significant finds were royal palaces, temples, and various libraries containing thousands of clay tablets. These records, written in multiple languages and scripts, provided invaluable insights into the city's cosmopolitan culture and the development of the Ugaritic alphabet. The discovery of these texts, which include extensive mythological and religious literature, has been instrumental in the study of ancient Canaanite civilization and has significantly influenced modern understanding of the Hebrew Bible.123