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# Hittite Empire

# Hittite Empire

## Overview
The Hittite Empire (~1600–1178 BCE) was a major Bronze Age power centered in Anatolia (modern Turkey). The Hittites were among the first to work iron and engaged in diplomacy with Egypt, producing the earliest known peace treaty. @t[1600 BCE..1178 BCE]

## Key Facts
- Region: Central Anatolia, expanding into Syria and Upper Mesopotamia
- Period: ~1600–1178 BCE @t[1600 BCE..1178 BCE]
- Capital: Hattusa (modern Boğazkale, Turkey)
- Language: Hittite (earliest attested Indo-European language)
- Writing: Cuneiform (official), Anatolian hieroglyphs

## Notable Rulers
- Hattusili I (~1650–1620 BCE): Early expansion @t[1650 BCE..1620 BCE]
- Suppiluliuma I (~1344–1322 BCE): Greatest territorial extent @t[1344 BCE..1322 BCE]
- Muwatalli II (~1295–1272 BCE): Fought Ramesses II at Kadesh @t[1295 BCE..1272 BCE]
- Hattusili III (~1267–1237 BCE): Signed Treaty of Kadesh with Egypt @t[1267 BCE..1237 BCE]

## Achievements
- Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE): Earliest known international peace treaty @t[~1259 BCE] [^1]
- Early adoption of iron technology
- Sophisticated legal codes and vassal treaty system
- Extensive diplomatic correspondence (Amarna Letters)

## Decline
Collapsed ~1178 BCE during the Bronze Age Collapse, likely due to invasions by the Sea Peoples, internal instability, and disrupted trade networks [^2]. @t[~1178 BCE]

---
[^1]: Beckman, G. *Hittite Diplomatic Texts* (1999)
[^2]: Bryce, T. *The Kingdom of the Hittites* (Oxford, 2005)
---

## Review Queue

<!-- factbase:review -->
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Region: Central Anatolia, expanding into Syria and Upper Mesopotamia" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Period: ~1600–1178 BCE" - when was this true?
> 1178 BCE event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Capital: Hattusa (modern Boğazkale, Turkey)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Language: Hittite (earliest attested Indo-European language)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Writing: Cuneiform (official), Anatolian hieroglyphs" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Hattusili I (~1650–1620 BCE): Early expansion" - when was this true?
> 1620 BCE event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Suppiluliuma I (~1344–1322 BCE): Greatest territorial extent" - when was this true?
> 1322 BCE event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Muwatalli II (~1295–1272 BCE): Fought Ramesses II at Kadesh" - when was this true?
> 1272 BCE event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "Hattusili III (~1267–1237 BCE): Signed Treaty of Kadesh with Egypt" - when was this true?
> 1237 BCE event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE): Earliest known international peace treaty [^1]" - when was this true?
> 1259 BCE event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Early adoption of iron technology" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Sophisticated legal codes and vassal treaty system" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 26: "Extensive diplomatic correspondence (Amarna Letters)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beckman (1999) [^1]; Bryce (2005) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Region: Central Anatolia, expanding into Syria and Upper Mesopotamia" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Period: ~1600–1178 BCE" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Capital: Hattusa (modern Boğazkale, Turkey)" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Language: Hittite (earliest attested Indo-European language)" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 14: "Writing: Cuneiform (official), Anatolian hieroglyphs" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Hattusili I (~1650–1620 BCE): Early expansion" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Suppiluliuma I (~1344–1322 BCE): Greatest territorial extent" - what is the source?
> Bryce (2005) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Muwatalli II (~1295–1272 BCE): Fought Ramesses II at Kadesh" - what is the source?
> Bryce (2005) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "Hattusili III (~1267–1237 BCE): Signed Treaty of Kadesh with Egypt" - what is the source?
> Bryce (2005) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Early adoption of iron technology" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Sophisticated legal codes and vassal treaty system" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 26: "Extensive diplomatic correspondence (Amarna Letters)" - what is the source?
> Beckman (1999) [^1]
- [x] `@q[ambiguous]` Line 19: "Muwatalli II (~1295–1272 BCE): Fought Ramesses II at Kadesh" - what does "II" mean in this context?
> Roman numeral indicating second king of that name (Muwatalli the Second).
- [x] `@q[ambiguous]` Line 20: "Hattusili III (~1267–1237 BCE): Signed Treaty of Kadesh with Egypt" - what does "III" mean in this context?
> Roman numeral indicating third king of that name (Hattusili the Third).
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 23: "Treaty of Kadesh (~1259 BCE): Earliest known international peace treaty [^1]" - Beckman source from 1999 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Treaty of Kadesh status is well-established.