Bowl shaped, shallow hull, with one side rising vertically to a point, while the other shows a horizontal S-shaped extremity.

The pendant is part of a buried treasure trove that was discovered in 1931 on the acropolis of Ras Shamra. The trove was originally thought to come from the periphery of the library in the zone between the temples of Baal and Dagan. The mission’s archives say the following regarding its location: “la tranchée B5, point topographique 39: Acropole, agrandissement de la fouille de la ‘Maison du Grand Prêtre’: au point 39 a 1m85 contre mur ou avaient été rencontrés à 1m85 déjà des débris d’argent et un poids en calcaire blanc (RS 3.386), vase grossier, cruche égueulée à anse cassée, chamois, contenant de nombreux objets et fragments en argent et or” (Journal de fouilles 1931: 65, 81-83). A recent reassessment however has localized the find to the “Maison du Grand Prêtre” (Matoïan 2018: 266-268; 2022: 695), where a total of five metal deposits were found: three comprised of bronze and copper (mostly tools and weapons), and two others consisting of jewellery pieces of precious metals (Matoïan 2018: 264). The nature of these assemblages has been variously interpreted such as foundation deposits, offering deposits, hiding place, treasure trove, metal reserves, and foundry stock (Ibid: 270). The high number of inscribed objects is also significant, including five adzes with alphabetic cuneiform giving the name to the building, and one silver cup with Cypro-Minoan. The building is known for providing the majority of mythological poems within the Ugaritan corpus, most notably the Baal Cycle.

The exact composition of the treasure remains uncertain, with objects divided between France (Louvre) and Syria (Aleppo). Amongst the inventory is a weight, as well as gold and silver scrap of bent, broken, and incomplete pieces such as an ingot, two cups, wire pieces, earrings, rings and various gold and silver pendants (for detailed list, see Caubet and Yon 2001: 151). Due to this varied composition of objects and different levels of preservation, the precise nature of the precious metal deposit is difficult to define. Published photographs of the treasure trove show an incomplete selection of objects, with the gold ship model absent (Schaeffer 1932: pl. XVI:1-2, nos. RS 3.336-RS 3.405). Schaeffer indicates that the contents weighed close to 2 kg and were originally wrapped in a piece of cloth that was partially preserved due to oxidation. The well-known silver cup RS 3.389 (Louvre AO 14747) with a Cypro-Minoan inscription belongs to the assemblage. The precise nature of the precious metal deposit is not easy to define, as it is composed of different types of objects of varied form and levels of preservation – some objects being complete, while others were bent or broken.

Matoïan thinks that the wider extremity (0.75 cm) which ends in a point is the bow (Matoïan 2022: 694).

Caubet, A. and Y., Marguerite. 2001. “Une coupe inscrite en chypro-minoen à Ras Shamra et les « trésors » d’Ougarit,” In P. M. Fischer (ed.) Contributions to the Archaeology and History of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Eastern Mediterranean: Studies in honour of Paul Åström. Vienna: Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut, (Sonderschriften / Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Bd. 39), pp. 149-157.

Matoïan, V. 2018. “Nouvelles données sur les monuments de l’Acropole de Ras Shamra-Ougarit (Syrie),” Comptes rendus des Séances de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres 2018.1: 253-305.

―――. 2022. "Un bateau en or dans la “maison du Grand-Prêtre” à Ugarit." Comptes-rendus des séances de l’Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, April-June 2022. Paris: Editions de l’académie 23, quai de conti, pp. 657-691.