Hittites: Map & History
The Hittites were an Anatolian Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia.
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The Hittites were an Anatolian Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in north-central Anatolia in the early 2nd millennium BC. There they formed a series of polities, including the kingdom of Kussara, the Kanesh or Neša, and an empire centered on their capital, Hattusa. Known in modern times as the Hittite Empire, it reached its peak during the mid-14th century BC under Šuppiluliuma I, when it encompassed most of Anatolia and parts of northern Syria and Upper Mesopotamia, bordering the rival empires of the Hurri-Mitanni and Assyrians.
Modern Countries Once Part of Hittites
At its mapped extent, Hittites covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Hittites's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Hittites in Depth
History
The ancestors of the Hittites came into Anatolia between 4400 and 4100 BC, when the Anatolian language family split from (Proto)-Indo-European. Recent genetic and archaeological research has indicated that Proto-Anatolian speakers arrived in this region sometime between 5000 and 3000 BC. The Proto-Hittite language developed around 2100 BC, and the Hittite language itself is believed to have been in use in Central Anatolia between the 20th and 12th centuries BC.
The Hittites are first associated with the kingdom of Kussara sometime prior to 1750 BC.
Hittites in Anatolia during the Bronze Age coexisted with Hattians and Hurrians, either by means of conquest or by gradual assimilation.
Government
It has been claimed that the earliest known constitutional monarchy was developed by the Hittites.
The head of the Hittite state was the king, followed by the heir-apparent. The king was the supreme ruler of the land, in charge of being a military commander, judicial authority, as well as a high priest. However, some officials exercised independent authority over various branches of the government. One of the most important of these posts in the Hittite society was that of the gal mesedi (Chief of the Royal Bodyguards). It was superseded by the rank of the gal gestin (chief of the wine stewards), who, like the gal mesedi, was generally a member of the royal family.
Economy
The Hittite economy was an Agro-Pastoral one. Barley (Hittite ḫalki) and various wheat cultivars (Hittite ZÍZ-tar) were the main types of grain cultivated. Grain silos where usually placed in administrative centers such as Hattusa. Livestock included cattle, sheep, goats, horses, mules, and donkeys, and, to a lesser extent, pigs.
In theory the land was owned by the gods, while in practice the King controlled the best lands, with a variety of other ownership forms after this. Land could be granted by the King to individuals in exchange for military service. The workforce working in food production was critical to the economy, thus wars taking men away from this could impact the food output of the Great Kingdom. Temples were an important part of the economy.
Geography
The Hittite kingdom was centered on the lands surrounding Hattusa and Neša (Kültepe), known as "the land Hatti" (URUHa-at-ti). After Hattusa was made the capital, the area encompassed by the bend of the Kızılırmak River (Hittite Marassantiya, Greek Halys) was considered the core of the Empire, and some Hittite laws make a distinction between "this side of the river" and "that side of the river". For example, the bounty for an escaped slave who had fled beyond the river is higher than for a slave caught on the near side.
To the west and south of the core territory lay the region known as Luwiya in the earliest Hittite texts.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Hittites (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Hittites: Key Facts
| Religions | Hittite religion, Hittite mythology |
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Facts from Wikidata Q5406 (CC0).
Hittites Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Hittites appears, with the other states of the time.
Hittites Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 321,568 km² in 1270 BCE.
Hittites: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Hittites exist?
Hittites is dated to 1600 BCE – 1151 BCE, in the Bronze Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Hittites?
The capital of Hittites was Hattusa, Šamuḫa (In exile under Tudḫaliya III), Tarḫuntašša (Regnal period of Muwatalli II).
How large was Hittites at its peak?
At its peak in 1270 BC Hittites covered about 321,568 km².
How did the map of Hittites change over time?
Hittites appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1500 BCE to 1200 BCE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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