Hattusa Essay

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ttusa Research Assignment – Hattusha The historical site of Hattusha (Turkish: Hattuşa), near modern day Boğazkale (which is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions), Turkey, is located 82 km to the southwest of Çorum and 208 km east from Ankara. During the 2nd Millennium BCE, the city of Hattusha was the capital of the Hittite empire which at its height of power spread across much of the Anatolian peninsular and some of the Levant coastal region. Hattusha is located between two deeply-cut streams which converged on the plain (at an elevation of about 945 metres). This forms the north-most point of the city. The city then rises about 304 metres high stretching south for 2 kilometres. It is quite odd that such a location could be the capital of the Hittite Empire, but many factors such as a plentiful water source (Kızılırmak River), fields for growing produce and an intricate defence systems kept the kings of the empire safe here. The first evidence of settlements in Hattusha are from the early bronze age, but there are no documents or any evidence that tells us who built these early settlements in Hattusha. These early people lived on the top and northwest foot of the high hill which dominates the east side of the city, called Büyükkale ("Great Fortress"). This hill later became the Hittite Acropolis. The ancient site of Hattusha has, since the early bronze age always been known to exist but it was not until 1834 when the site was officially rediscovered by French researcher Charles Texier, who came to Boğazkale (or as it was known then, Boğazköy) in 1834, publishing the results of the first explorations there in 1839. It was on cuneiform clay tablets and yielded history of the Hittite Empire. Discovery of the site in 1874 by Charles Texier first excavations 1893-94; In 1905, German archeologists excavated

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