Hittite Cultic City And Fortress Unearthed In Southern Turkey

Photo of the rock relief at cite.


Cultic City And Fortress Unearthed In Southern Turkey

One of two famous rock reliefs from this area is on the rock cliff in
the left of this image. The better preserved of the two rock reliefs
shows the Hittite King Muwatalli II (ca. 1290--1272 BC), opponent of
Pharaoh Ramesses II in the famous Battle of Qadesh in Syria and is
thus the oldest Hittite rock relief known so far.

ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2007) - New excavations conducted by the
University of Tübingen (Germany) and the Onsekiz Mart University of
Çanakkale (Turkey) at the site of Sirkeli Höyük near Adana (southern
Turkey) have revealed the remains of a massive bastion fortification
dating to the Hittite Imperial Period (ca. 1300 BC). Sirkeli Höyük,
one of the largest settlement mounds in Cilicia during the Bronze- and
Iron Ages, was already known to archaeologists and historians because
of two Hittite rock reliefs located at the site.

The better preserved rock relief of the two shows the Hittite King
Muwatalli II (ca. 1290-1272 BC), opponent of Pharaoh Ramesses II in
the famous Battle of Qadesh in Syria and is thus the oldest Hittite
rock relief known so far.

On the upside of the rock, just above the reliefs, various shallow
pits or basins are found which apparently are to be connected with the
reliefs and were used for libations in the course of cultic
activities.

These pits were part of a larger cultic installation which also
included a building to the west of the rock reliefs. This ensemble is
thought to be a cultic installation for the Hittite King.

Excavations at the site were conducted between 1992-1997 by the
Universities of Munich and Innsbruck. In 2006 excavations were resumed
by the University of Tübingen and the University of Çanakkale. The
project and its organization are based at the Institute of Near
Eastern Archaeology and Assyriology at the University of Tübingen. The
Institute of Prehistorical Archaeology and the Institute of Classical
Archaeology are associated with the project.

At the University of Çanakkale the project is based at the Institute
of Prehistorical Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology and Classical
Archaeology. The project is carried out under the patronage of the
Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

In the course of the first two campaigns conducted in 2006 and 2007
the massive fortification bastion in the north-western part of the
city was excavated. Finds made within the complex show that the
building was constructed during the Late Bronze Age (1500-1200 B.C.)
and apparently modified and re-used during the Iron Age (1200-600
B.C.). Later, the surrounding area of the mound was occupied by
Hellenistic buildings. The finds reveal that the site was engaged in
cultural exchange and trade with the Levant, the Aegean and different
regions of Anatolia in the 2nd and 1st millennium B.C.

The site of Sirkeli Höyük may possibly also be identified with the
ancient cultic city of Lawazantiya which is known to have been the
home town of Hittite Queen Puduhepa, wife of King Hattusili III (ca.
1265-1240 B.C.).

Adapted from materials provided by Tuebingen University.
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Tuebingen University (2007, October 31). Cultic City And Fortress
Unearthed In Southern Turkey. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 31,
2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­; /releases/
2007/10/071030133030.htm

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