Hittites at Tell Afis (Syria)
Northern Syria between 1350-1200 BC fell under Hittite control after the successful campaigns of Šuppiluliuma I and Muršili II. Nevertheless, following the archaeological evidence, Hittite presence south to the Anatolian plateau is elusive. Elements in material culture related to the Hittite homelan...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Gregorian & Biblical Press
2012
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| In: |
Orientalia
Year: 2012, Volume: 81, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-55 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | Northern Syria between 1350-1200 BC fell under Hittite control after the successful campaigns of Šuppiluliuma I and Muršili II. Nevertheless, following the archaeological evidence, Hittite presence south to the Anatolian plateau is elusive. Elements in material culture related to the Hittite homeland are flimsy and textual sources coming from sites such as Ugarit and Emar show that central power appeared uninterested in a direct annexation of the territories; political control was exercised with the auxiliary use of officials, and from a certain point in 13th BC, was basically delegated to the Viceroy of Karkamiš. The site of Tell Afis, located on the Jazr plain, in the district of modern Idlib (Syria), has recently given an important Late Bronze Age II sequence which sheds new light on the political and cultural landscape of 13th BC northwest Syria. Textual and archaeological evidence collected in phases VII-VI-Vb required a reconsideration of the role played by the Hittites in inner-Syrian societies after the conquest of the provinces. Two letters (and a small fragment) in Hittite found on the acropolis of Tell Afis, to be attributed to the reign of Ḫattušili III according to internal evidence, date six other fragmentary tablets (all probably in Akkadian) and the building where they have been found. The personal names are mostly Hurrians, while the overseer of Afis (whose ancient name remains unknown) had the Semitic name Ašmaḫya. At that time, Afis was controlled by a "Lord of the country", EN KURTI, who resided very probably at Alalaḫ; the region depended therefore directly on the Hittite imperial administration and not on Karkamiš. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Orientalia
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