CLAS 2P34 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-25: Hattusa, Cyclopean Masonry, Lion Gate
5 May 2016
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Document Summary
The hittites came to prominence in central anatolia in the later middle bronze age and would control the area until their capital city, hattusa, was destroyed ca. They are the earliest known speakers of an indo-european language. They wrote their language in cuneiform, adapted from old babylonian scripts, with the later addition of a hieroglyphic script. Thousands of clay tablets, discovered in particular at hattusa, have given much information about their culture. The capital city of the hittites, also known as bo azk y, the older name of the modern village on the site, is spread out over 2km north-south on irregularly sloping ground. The town lay in the low-lying north sector. Citadels and religious centers were distributed up the slope, toward the south. The fortifications at hattusa combined natural features (stone outcroppings, gorges) with built walls, stone foundations in casemate plan with mud brick superstructure. Three gates at the upper, south rim of the city, still impress the visitor.
