El intento de una nueva mirada: Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter

The first settlement around Hattusa-Bo¤azköy was in 6000 BC, in the Copper Age. During this period, traces ha- ve been found of a small villa- ge in the upper part of Büyük- kaya and of a settlement in Ya- r›kkaya, which is located in 2km distance. During the Early Bronze Age (3000 BC) small settlements have started to rule by becoming religious and political centers. The de- velopment process has been accelerated due to the rich- ness of mines in the region. Another such center has been established in Alacahöyük, which is located in a 25 km distance to Bo¤azköy. As short while later a Hatti settle- ment comes out to the surface in Hattusa-Bo¤azköy. It is se- en that a continuous settle- ment starts to take place in Hattusa towards the end of the Early Bronze Age. Hatti ru- ins are seen in Hattusa, in Afla- ¤› fiehir (Lower City) , and in the hills of Büyükkaya and Bü- yükkale. During the Middle

The Lion Gate

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Bronze Age, an Assyrian trade colony has been established in this Hatti settlement, the Assyrian tradesmen, who ca- me to purchase the rich mine- rals of Anatolia, have brought the knowledge of script toget- her with them. And as far as it has been inferred from these tablets; the name of the com- mercial center was “Hattus”. In the early 2000 BC, there has been conflicts between the Hattis and Hittites, who later

came to the region from anot- her region. On a cuneiform tablet, it is told that King Anit- ta of Kuflflara defeated King Piyusti of the Hattus and des- troyed the city. Excavations reveal that the city of Hatttus was destroyed in a fire in the 1700s BC. When the city was declared the capital city by the Hittite king in the second half of the 17th century BC, Hattus of the Hatti reappeared in his- tory as Hattusa of the Hittites. Hattusili 1st was the first king who moved the capital from Nesa to Hattusa, and assumed the throne name Hattusili (meaning ‘from Hattusa’) to mark the occasion. During the reign of Hattusili, the cunei- form writing that had been for- gotten in Anatolia after the Assyrian trade colonies came into use once again. Hattusi realized certain military achi- evements and his kingdom ex- panded to the border of Syria. Mursili, when he rose to the throne after Mattusili, kept or- ganizing raids into Syria to hold the Mesopotamian trade routes and finally conquered

Büyükkale

Land Donation Certificate, Hittite Period

67 Aleppo. His army marched

further into Babel. Yet, when Mursili was murdered a period of chaos ensued. In this peri- od, the Hittite domination in the region displayed an irre- gular pattern. Some land was lost to the Mitanni Kingdom, rebellions followed, and the Empire experienced hard times when Kaska tribes attacked.

The period between 1400 BC and 1180 BC is referred to as the period of the Hittite Empi- re. It was during this period when the Hittites re-emerged from obscurity. Suppiluliuma I regained control over the so- utheastern territories from the Mitanni, and conquered Syria. This made the Hittites estab- lish land contact with Egypt. The army of Muvatalli II met with the army of Ramesses II on the shores of the river Asi. This event is referred to as the battle of Kadesh, which pro- bably didn’t result in a decisi- ve victory of one of the parties, but produced the first peace treaty of history. This treaty still exists, written on clay tab-

lets. During the reign of Muva- talli II, the Hittite capital was temporarily moved from Hat- tusa. But during Hattusili II- I and his son Tudhaliya IV, Hattusa returned to its previo- us splendor. During this peri- od many construction projects were initiated in the city. The walls of the upper city were restored and rebuilt, monu- mental constructions and temples were erected, and a new palace, with a great re- ception hall, columned galleri- es, houses and warehouses, was built in the ‘Büyükkale’ great castle. Besides, it is ge- nerally accepted that the ‘Ya- z›l›kaya Rock Temple’ was

Sar›kale Excavations

Bulla, Hititte Period

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completed during Tudhaliya IV’s reign. All these develop- ments made Hattusa not only the political, but also the reli- gious capital of the country. But at the end of the 13th cen- tury BC, the upper city was mostly abandoned, its temp- les ruined, and the city beca- me vulnerable to attacks. Hat- tusa was destroyed, along with the Hittite state, as part of the Bronze Age collapse.

After the destruction, Hattusa was ripped off of its political, religious, and economic po- wer and influence, and was abandoned altogether. Altho- ugh the excavations uneart- hed layers of fire, it is realized that the citizens had time to evacuate the city. Excavations revealed that the Hittite state archives and giant provision amphorae in the great temp- le’s warehouses were left be- hind, when the city was eva- cuated. During the Early Iron Age, the Hattusa area saw a number of small settlements. Traces of these were found at ‘Büyükkaya’ the great rock, the lower city, the hillside house, and ‘Büyükkale’ the great castle. With the start of the Middle Iron Age, the num- ber of settlements increased. One is unearthed at ‘Büyükka- ya’, dating to the 9th century BC, two at the lower city and the ‘Büyükkale’ dating to the 8th century BC. At the 7th century BC, a castle was built at the ‘Büyükkale’, the settle- ment in the lower city was scaled down, and the

Great Temple

bo¤azkale

In 1986 Hattusa was incor- porated into UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage, which contains famous citi- es like Venice, Toledo, Jeru- salem, Damascus, Rome, and Machu Picchu. In 1988 Hattusa was announced to be a national park. In 2001, the nearly 30,000 pieces Hattusa clay tablet archive which is now preserved in the Museum of Anatolian Ci- vilizations, Ankara, and the Istanbul Archeology Muse- um, was included in UNES- CO’s Memory of the World list.

69 ‘Büyükkaya’ settlement was

abandoned altogether. The Cimmerians, who eventually destroyed the Phrygians, po- sed the greatest threat to the city during this period. The Kybele statue found at the ‘Büyükkale’, and earthenware pieces bearing inscriptions with the Phrygian alphabet, show that the city had con- tacts with the west. During the 6th century BC, the area was under Persian occupation, like the rest of Anatolia. During the 3rd century BC the Galatians settled in the region. A new castle was erected in the ‘Bü- yükkale’ during this period. In 25 BC the area came under Ro- man rule. Byzantine remnants have been excavated both at the lower and upper city of Hattusa. The apse at the ‘Mih- rapl›kaya’ the rock with a nic-

he is an interesting Byzantine structure. It is believed that the Byzantine rule lasted until the 11th century.

HATTUSA – THE LOWER