Hattusa of the Hittites
A ten‑minute visual journey through the fortified capital, its sacred sanctuary, the royal archives, and the historic Kadesh peace treaty.
Chapters
On-screen text
- 0:07 Fortified Capital
- 0:14 Fortified Capital
- 0:31 Lion Gate, main citadel entrance Historical record · Excavation report, Hugo Winckler, 1906, Hattusa
- 0:49 Gate spans 12 m, lintel 30 t Historical record · Survey of Hattusian fortifications, G. R. H. Wright, 1975
- 0:58 Double walls, 7 km circuit Historical record · Hittite fortification plan, KUB 12.3, 13th c. BCE
- 1:16 Divine Landscape
- 1:23 Divine Landscape
- 1:40 Yazılıkaya, cliff sanctuary Historical record · Excavation report, E. H. Weigand, 1939
- 1:58 Four deity procession panels Historical record · Relief catalogue, H. G. Güterbock, 1975
- 2:16 Tarḫunna leads the divine procession The Institute's interpretation · G. R. Hughes, “The Hittite Pantheon”, 1999
- 2:25 The Royal Archive
- 2:32 The Royal Archive
- 2:49 5,000+ tablets unearthed Historical record · Hittite Royal Archives, catalogue KUB, vol. I, 1930
- 3:07 Old Hittite cuneiform script Historical record · Cuneiform transliteration, H. G. Güterbock, 1978
- 3:25 Royal directive on wall repairs Historical record · Letter from King Ḫattušili III to Queen Puduḫepa, KUB 5.1
- 3:43 Hittite‑Egyptian diplomatic letters Historical record · Correspondence with Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II, KUB 12.5
- 4:37 How were the terms sealed?
- 4:52 Hostages exchanged, mutual non‑aggression clause. Historical record · Treaty of Kadesh, cuneiform tablet KUB 26.1, 1259 BCE
- 5:08 The Institute reads: early diplomatic equality. The Institute's interpretation
Sources
Historical record: Excavation report, Hugo Winckler, 1906, Hattusa · Survey of Hattusian fortifications, G. R. H. Wright, 1975 · Hittite fortification plan, KUB 12.3, 13th c. BCE · Hydraulic engineering study, H. K. Bittel, 1972 · Excavation report, E. H. Weigand, 1939 · Relief catalogue, H. G. Güterbock, 1975 · Hittite Royal Archives, catalogue KUB, vol. I, 1930 · Cuneiform transliteration, H. G. Güterbock, 1978 · Letter from King Ḫattušili III to Queen Puduḫepa, KUB 5.1 · Correspondence with Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II, KUB 12.5 · Treaty of Kadesh, cuneiform tablet KUB 26.1, 1259 BCE
The Institute's interpretation: G. R. Hughes, “The Hittite Pantheon”, 1999
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 153 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (14) — the next things to make
- Scale diagram overlaid on the ruined gate, highlighting its width and the massive lintel.
- Illustrated aerial view of the city showing the two concentric walls and the gate positions.
- Cross‑section cut through the citadel floor revealing stone-lined channels and a vaulted cistern.
- Close‑up of the carved panels; a hand traces the outlines of the figures.
- Close‑up of the carved panels; a hand traces the outlines of the figures.
- Scribes stacking clay tablets in a vaulted archive chamber.
- Scribes stacking clay tablets in a vaulted archive chamber.
- Close‑up of a scribe pressing a stylus into wet clay, forming wedge‑shaped signs.
- Scribes inscribing the treaty on a large clay tablet in a royal hall.
- A simple parchment appears on screen, the question written in bold ink, inviting viewers to consider the treaty’s sealing.
- A grand banquet hall glows with oil lamps; officials from both realms sit at a long table, tablets placed centrally as a pact.
- A parchment with a question appears, the ink stark against the background, prompting contemplation of the treaty’s durability.
- On a hilltop, both kingdoms’ banners flutter side by side in the breeze, their colors merging under a clear sky.
- Night falls over Hattusa; the city’s silhouette glows faintly as the illuminated treaty tablets are displayed in a courtyard.