Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
Hattusa
Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittites, Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey (originally Boğazköy) within the great ...
, the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age, near modern
BoÄŸazkale
Boğazkale ("Gorge Fortress") is a town of Çorum Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, located from the city of Çorum. It is the seat of Boğazkale District.Early trade accounts used to pinpoint lost Bronze Age cities. Oliver Moody, ''The Times'', 13 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
Location
The likely location of Šinahuttum was identified by historians using statistical methods to interrogate the records of merchants found at Kaneš near the modern Turkish city of
Kayseri
Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
.
The site in early times
It was mentioned first as Sinahuttum in the Assyrian Colony text C18, along with other cities as Ankuwa and Kapitra which rebelled against
Hattusa
Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittites, Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey (originally Boğazköy) within the great ...
in Late Bronze Age period. It was part of the Hittite kingdom, as is commented in text C17.
In early times, king
Labarna I
Labarna was the traditional first king of the Hittites, (middle chronology), the most accepted chronology nowadays. He was the traditional founder of the Hittite Old Kingdom (fl. c. 1680(?)-1650 BC). His wife was Tawannanna.
The existence of La ...
was the sovereign of the small city-state of
Kussara
Kussara (''Kuššar'') was a Middle Bronze Age kingdom in Anatolia. The kingdom, though apparently important at one time, is mostly remembered today as the origin of the dynasty that would form the Old Hittite Kingdom.
Location
Kussara is occasion ...
, who during his campaigns to enlarge his territory went to the northeast of Kussara and conquered the city-state of Sanahuitta. Hamblin, William J., (2006) Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC: Holy Warriors at the Dawn of History Routledge. Then he set up one of his sons as governor of the city, but the inhabitants rebelled and elected Papahdilmah as their authority. After Papahdilmah took the throne of Samahuitta in a coup, the Hittite state was divided in two, with one faction ruling from Samahuitta and the other controlling the southern territory from Kussara. Sanahuitta was apparently independent until
Hattusili I Ḫattušili (''Ḫattušiliš'' in the inflected nominative case) was the regnal name of three Hittite kings:
* Hattusili I (Labarna II)
* Hattusili II
*Hattusili III Ḫattušili (''Ḫattušiliš'' in the inflected nominative case) was the regnal ...
, in his first campaign, sacked the surrounding territory, but not conquered the city itself, what he did three years later, after a siege of six months.