Civilizations Around the World: The Hittites

The Hittites were a Bronze Age people from mountainous region of central Anatolia, modern Turkey. As powerful warlike people they battled constantly with the neighboring groups for control over the Mediterranean trade. The Hittites were forced to master a harsh homeland with land barely suitable to farm wheat and barley and domesticate sheep and cattle. Against the odds of the land and the success of their powerful army, the Hittites flourished between about 1600 and 1200BC, reaching its height in the 14^th century.

Map of the Hittite Empire, courtesy of touregypt.net

The Hittite built a massive stronghold at Hattusas, the center of their kingdom. Here they recruited and trained their powerful army. Much of the military success of the Hittite came from their skill as charioteers. They among the first to use horses in warfare and developed the chariot as one of the most feared weapons in battle. Each of their chariots could hold up to three people, one to drive, and two to fight. Being an army centered group, the Hittites were almost constantly at war, either in order to claim and protect their territory from their neighbors. Most of what we know about them today comes from ancient texts that have been recovered from ancient cuneiform letters and clay tablets. The greatest contract, or at least the most extensively documented contact, was between the Hittites and the Egyptians. They made treaties with the Egyptian pharaohs to avoid any conflicts (the Hittites sometimes bought off their rivals with gold) and were documented on clay tablets and found in the massive royal archives at Hattusas.

Cuneiform, image courtesy of historicconections.web.com

Cuneiform, image courtesy of biblearchaelogy.org

One of the well-known remains of the Hittites is their lion gates. They were the fearsome lion decorated stone gateways of Hattusas. Their capital city was well protected from enemies because it was set among cliffs and mountains, and the lions appeared to be life-like as the capitals guardians. 

The Lion Gate, image courtesy of anthroarcheart.org

Although the Hittites had a strong land army, it was difficult for them to defend their coasts. Invaders from the sea, known to them as “sea peoples”, constantly attacked the Hittites. This, together with unreliable harvests and constant pressure from the Egyptians, eventually bought the empire crumbling down in 1200BC.

About the Author

I'm Jose Pierre and I like learning about all aspects of culture, both ancient and modern. I enjoy learning how they communicated, expressed themselves, and their technology.