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Hittite

The ancient Hittite tablet features cuneiform text in both Hittite and Hurrian languages, with the Hittite inscription recounting the onset of war and the Hurrian inscription constituting a prayer for victory.	Source: Kimiyoshi Matsumura/Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology

Clay Tablet From 3,300-Years Ago Tells Story of the Siege and Plunder of Four Hittite Cities

A 3,300-year-old clay tablet unearthed in central Turkey has painted a tale of a devastating foreign invasion of the Hittite Empire during a period of internal strife and civil war. As the civil war...
The sounds of ancient languages are getting revived with AI. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Equator AI.

The Sound of Ancient Languages As You’ve Never Heard Them Before (Video)

Ancient languages , once mere written symbols on aged parchments, have now been brought to life through the marvel of artificial intelligence. In a captivating video, AI has breathed audible...
Bust of Ramses the Great. Source: Dennis / Adobe Stock.

Ramses the Great: A Master of Diplomacy and Propaganda (Video)

Ramses II , also known as Ramses the Great, was a successful pharaoh of ancient Egypt. His reign was characterized by military victories , impressive constructions, and a mastery of diplomacy. He...
Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire before its collapse. Source: Suat/Adobe Stock

The Role of Severe Drought in the Collapse of the Hittite Empire

A study of juniper tree-ring samples from central Turkey, along with other dating methods, shows that a climate crisis in the form of a severe drought in 1198–1196 BC, played a major role in the...
Aerial view of Uşaklı Höyük excavations. At the bottom center, the circular structure, a further clue as to whether this is the holy city of Zippalanda, found during the 2022 excavation campaign is visible.	Source: Emanuele Taccola/University of Pisa

Closer Still To Identifying The Lost City Of Zippalanda

4,000-year-old Hittite texts speak of the lost cultic centre of Zippalanda, somewhere in modern Turkey. Now, new discoveries at the Uşaklı Höyüy site further suggest this was the ancient holy city...
‘Destruction’ from Thomas Cole’s ‘The Course of Empire.’ Representation of a city destroyed in the Late Bronze Age Collapse. Source: Public domain

Civilization's Midnight: The Late Bronze Age Collapse

To the layman who is educated in the Euro-Centric tradition, history stops at the Greeks. We are all familiar with the militaristic ferocity of the Spartans and the open atmosphere of discourse in...
Valley of the Tower of Tombs, ruins of ancient Palmyra in Syrian desert   Source: Monik-a / Adobe Stock

Piecing Together the Lost Mitanni Empire

The Mitanni Empire was established in 1475 BC and was disestablished in 1260 BC. It was one of the biggest and most powerful nations of its time, and its influence spread far and wide. Yet you’ve...
Composite of in-article images

Six of the Best: A Run Down of Last Week’s Top Stories

In last week’s top stories; features on the magic mushrooms of the Aztecs, and their devastating weapons arsenal, a very lucky 10-year-old, a tooled-up Roman mercenary, the world’s first known...
Zeus rebuked by Aphrodite by Abraham Janssens I (1612) Art Institute of Chicago (Public Domain)

The Origins Of Ancient Greek Creation Mythology

Since the beginning of humankind, there has been the pressing need to understand the reasons why humans were created. What purpose do humans serve? Each ancient and modern culture hold their own...
Enchanted landscape of Fairy Chimneys forms of sandstone in the canyon near Cavusin village, Cappadocia (Andrew Mayovskyy / Adobe Stock)

Cappadocia, Enchanted Land of Khepat, Ancient Anatolia’s Mother Goddess

Cappadocia in central Anatolia/Turkey presents an ancient scenery mesmerizing the mind and captivating the imagination, where Khepat, the Mother Goddess, carved a fairy tale landscape against the...
The Kaskians defied the great Hittite empire at the peak of their power

Bronze Age Kaska – The World’s First Guerrillas?

The Hittites established one of the earliest great empires in human history. Between 1750 BC and 1200 BC, the Hittite empire was a regional superpower in the Middle East, stretching across modern-day...
Top 15 interesting facts about ancient Egypt.            Source: Maurizio / Adobe stock

Top 15 Interesting Facts About Ancient Egypt That You May Not Know

One of the greatest civilizations in our history belonged to the ancient Egyptians. It flourished in the fertile valleys of the world’s longest river - the Nile, where a magnificent civilization rose...
Closeup of the Bronze Age mosaic at Usa̧klı Höyük. Source: Anacleto D'Agostino / Usa̧klı Höyük Archaeological Project

World’s Oldest Mosaic Unearthed in Turkey

Archaeologists in Turkey believe that they have uncovered the oldest mosaic yet found. This paved floor made of irregular colored stones was unearthed during fieldwork in what is believed to have...
Yumuktepe mound in Mersin, Turkey  Source:  Essizmercin.com

7,000-year-old Fortress Found Under the Yumuktepe Mound

Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered a section of a prehistoric fortress wall. It was found at the Yumuktepe mound, which dates back to the Neolithic period, some 9,000 years ago. This fortress is...
Left: The excavation site at Zincirli, southern Turkey. (Lucas Stephens)Top Right: Baking and cooking pots and trays found at Zincirli, including a ceramic pot with soot still left on the bottom from when it was last used (left). Bottom Right: Items found at Zincirli include bronze needles stored in a bone case (top left), a bronze figurine of a goddess (left), and animal knucklebones often used as dice (bottom). (Roberto Ceccacci)

3,500 Years Ago, Hittites Sacked and Razed an Unwary City

Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a city that was sacked by the Hittites over 3,500 years ago. One afternoon more than 3,500 years ago, hundreds of families were getting about their everyday...
Site of discovery of ancient barn carvings . Source: Yücel Şenyurt / Fair Use.

3,500-Year-Old Hittite Hieroglyphs Discovered In Anatolian Cattle Barn

Archaeologists digging in the Gülşehir district of central Nevşehir province in Turkey's historical Cappadocia region have discovered 3,500-year-old Hittite hieroglyphs built into the walls of a barn...
Left: Pictish warrior (public domain) Right: Scythian Warrior with Axe, Bow, and Spear.

Piecing Together the Origins of Ancient Near East Names in Scotland

Thinking of Scotland, as I do from the somewhat similar mountains of northern India, which has been my home for nigh on twenty years, I do so from a rather Indian perspective; I think of families,...
Artist’s representation of the Hittite city of Hattusa in Anatolia.

The Anatolian Histories Part 1: Emerging Empires and Lands Changing Hands

What comes to the mind when one says Anatolia? Does the phrase “land of the rising sun” (as the ancient Greeks called it) appear? Or, because it technically belongs to the Middle East, do you think...
From the Biblical tale, Jacob wrestles with an Angel

Flaming Swords and Winged Beasts: What Were These Ancient Creatures? The Origins of Cherubim – Part II

The word angel comes from the Old English engel , or ‘messenger’. Angels have an ancient and global tradition, but with belief in these powerful but elusive supernatural beings still going strong...
Collection of Egyptian Art, design by Anand Balaji (Photo credits: Heidi Kontkanen, Dave Rudin, and Dmitry Denisenkov); Deriv.

Was Tutankhamun’s Coronation Delayed? Making sense of the Ascendance of Pharaoh Aye

One of ancient Egypt’s best-kept secrets is the identity of the mysterious Amarna Period royal, Smenkhkare. Who, after all, was he or she? Scholars have offered a bouquet of possible candidates...
In the Market Square is Helsinki’s oldest public monument, the Tsarina’s Stone, topped by a globe and a double-headed eagle, the emblem used by the Tsars of Russia

The Double-Headed Eagle: An Everlasting Symbol of Power

The double-headed eagle has been a popular symbol associated with the concept of a powerful Empire. Most contemporary uses of the symbol are exclusively associated with its use by the Byzantine...
Ramses II at his chariot falls upon the Nubians

Blood and Victory: The Battle of Kadesh, a Clash of Titans – Part II

The stage is set for a showdown between two giant armies – the Egyptians, with the greatest pharaoh of history, Ramses II, and the Hittites, with their impressive army and persuasive king, Muwatalli...
Relief, Ramses II among the Gods - Abydos 1275 BC

The Great and Powerful Pharaoh, Ramses: The Battle of Kadesh, a Clash of Titans – Part I

Many believe Ramses II (1303-1213 BCE) is the most celebrated, powerful, and greatest pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire. It is not hard to see why. The battle of Kadesh would immortalize Ramses II in...
With Iberian, Hittite, and Syrian Elements, Who Built the Magnificent Mausoleum of Pozo Moro?

With Iberian, Hittite, and Syrian Elements, Who Built the Magnificent Mausoleum of Pozo Moro?

Spain is a country with a multicultural history, where even the best-qualified archaeologists may discover sites, artifacts, and stories that change all previous knowledge about a given topic. When...

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