Hittites
Mckenzie Hosier And Nathan Artt
Intro/ basic info
Intro:
Society Name- Hittites
Time Period Which They Existed – The Hittites populated the area between the 19th and 12 centuries BC.
Why did they exist in this time period and put the society in Historical
Context – They traveled from the Caucasus Mountain area. The Hittites pushed the people who were living here further southward. To put the Hittites in Historical context they lived at the same time as the Egyptians.
Geographic Location/Maps – The Hittites migrated into the area of Asia Minor around 1900 BC. It is the land which is now modern day Turkey. They established their kingdom on the Hatti Plain and most likely their name came from this area. It is located between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The geography was diverse which helped the development of their society. The geography included mountains, grassy plains, and river valleys. The economy was based mainly on grains and sheep raising and later metal works and were the earliest makers of iron.
Social Structure
Cities
Larbarna, the first leader of the Hittites made his first Capitol in Hattusas. The captured Aleppo and claimed their land in Syria.
Technology
Religion
Writing
Government
The Hittites were run by many rulers, but their main form of government and social life was feudalism. When something went wrong the king had to provide troops and he was in charge of them. Basically feudalism meant that in exchange for land from the king called people must protect and fight for him (basically be in his army) these were called vassals. This form of government was believed to have begun in France in the 10th century. Where the traits of this government is hard to know when started but scholars believe that it started when Germanic soldiers made oaths to their chiefs.
Primary source (picture below)
Primary source document
Treaty of Kadesh
"Treaty of Kadesh." Photos/Illustrations. Carl Rasmussen (http://www.HolyLandPhotos.org). World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
Fragment of the Treaty of Kadesh, the agreement that ended the battle between the Hittites and the Egyptians for control of the Levant in 1275 BCE.
Artifacts (pictures below)
Artifacts
Hittite bronze standard
Bronze and silver standard in the shape of a deer, Hittite, third millenium BCE, from Alaca Hoyuk, Turkey. The Hittites were an ancient people that migrated into Asia Minor around 1900 BCE and built an empire using skilled adoption of technological innovations such as metallurgy. They were especially skilled at developing new techniques for shaping metals and engraving metal
Hittite warrior frieze
Hittite freeze warrior
Frieze of a Hittite warrior, found in the royal palace at Babylon. The Hittites were an ancient people that migrated into Asia Minor around 1900 BCE and built an empire using skilled adoption of technological innovations for military and agricultural.
Hittite sculpture from Yazilikaya
Relief sculpture, from around 1200 BCE, depicting figures armed with sickle-like objects, at the holy Hittite site of Yazilikaya in present-day central Turkey.
Entrance to the Great Fortress at Hatussas
Lions flank the entrance to the Great Fortress at Hatussas in present-day Turkey. Hattusas was the capital and greatest city of the Hittite empire during the second millennium BCE.
Analyze
Overall this society was very structured. They focused a lot around their army. Much of their government and social life was revolved around the army in one way or another. Even the inventions they made were weapons to use in battle. They were a pretty well working and strong society. Although they often got into fights with Egypt over borders. They were run like most societies back then, with a king, but what set them apart was their focus on military.
Mla citation
Davis, Paul K., and Allen Lee Hamilton. "Hittites." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2014
"Hittites." Hittites. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
"Treaty of Kadesh." Photos/Illustrations. Carl Rasmussen (http://www.HolyLandPhotos.org). World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
"Hittite bronze standard." Photos/Illustrations. De Agostini/Getty Images. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
"Hittite warrior frieze." Photos/Illustrations. Instructional Resources Corporation. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
"Hittite sculpture from Yazilikaya." Photos/Illustrations. iStockphoto. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
"Entrance to the Great Fortress at Hatussas." Photos/Illustrations. Shutterstock. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.