25/1/2008
ALACAHÖYÜK
Category: Belirtilmemiş
ALACAHÖYÜKAlacahöyük is located 34 km / 21 miles north of Boğazkale. The excavations have revealed four layers from different cultures starting from the Chalcolithic period in the middle of the 4th millenium. Thirteen royal graves dating back to the Ancient Bronze period (around 2300 BC) have been excavated: they contained gold, silver, electrum and bronze objects like statuettes, vessel, jewels and accessories, weapons ...and the sun disk shaped ceremonial standards. The most beautiful artifacts are now on display at Ankara Anatolian Civilizations Museum.
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Gold Twin Idols |
Bronze Ceremonial Standard. |
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2nd half of 3rd millenium | |
The first capital of the Hittite invaders is supposed to have been ancient Kuşara (or Arinna) identified as Alacahöyük, according to many Hittite in******ions. Towards the end of the 19C BC the Hittite princes of Kuşara showed their supremacy over the other peoples who had settled in Anatolia: King Pithana and his son Annita defeated the kings of Hattuşa which became the new capital of the Hittites from the 18C BC. Around 1200 BC after the Hittite Empire came to an end, the "Sea Peoples" settled on the ruins of the Hittite cities of northern Anatolia, that they had destroyed. Under the Phrygian period Kuşara declined very rapidly reaching the size of a small village which however remained inhabited until the Ottoman period. During the Hittite period, the city was protected by strong walls with many gates set in them. The most impressive is the monumental Sphinx Gate which opened on the south. A small museum displays findings of different periods, made in the region.
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