Anatolian Civilizations and Historical Sites - TEDA

ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS:10x19 antik kentler 8/1/11 10:50 AM Sayfa
of Akkadian. Furthermore, the Hittites seemingly used cuneiform
script besides the Luvian - originated hieroglyph. Czech scholar B.
Horozny read the Hittite cuneiform script and played a great role in
shedding light on the Hittite history. Hittite literature is made up of
documents in the genre of legend or epic. However, the Hittites have
very few products peculiar to themselves. Despite the fact that most
of their products are sourced from the Hattians or Hurrians,
Mesopotamian motifs are also sensed in these.
Apparently the traditional Anatolian ceramics reached to great heights
with the Hittite ceramics. The ceramics obtained were very thin walled,
mostly red, and were glazed. Furthermore, geometrically decorated
and multicolored ceramics were also created. Animal-shaped and
embossed vases, known as Rhyton, which were used by the Hittites to
offer drinks during religious rituals or to sacrifice liquids to gods, are
unique examples of the ceramic art. Besides these, human-faced pots
also seem to have been created. Beak-mouthed jugs form a distinct
group. The best example of embossed ceramic is the embossed vase
known as Bitik vase, named after the Bitik village of Ankara where it
was found. Decorations on this vase, which is currently exhibited in
Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, were evidently created in
three different sections. A holy marriage ceremony is pictured at the
top section, with a feast in the middle section and only the heads of
humans at the bottom section. Another embossed vase, bearing almost
the same characteristics, was found in ‹nand›ktepe. Themes were
created in a narrative style in four sections, as on the Bitik vase and
cream figures were used on a red background. Apart from these vases,
both of which are from the 16 th century BC, such embossed vases were
obtained during the excavations in Hattusha, Aliflar, Alacahöyük,
Elbistan-Karahöyük, Çorum-Eskiyap›.
The ceramics discovered during the excavations reveal that, besides
the beak-mouthed ceramics, which were created during the earlier
period and which were precisely transferred over to the Hittites;
round-mouthed, long-necked, bulky bellied and handled jugs were
also created. Furthermore, Aliflar originated pieces of pottery are
very interesting samples. The most successful examples of the
Great Hittite Period were obtained during the embossment
excavations in Bo¤azköy, Alaca, Eskiyapar, Maflathöyük, Yumuktepe,
Gözlükule, the Upper Euphrates Basin, Keban Dam and the Lower
Euphrates Basin.
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