New finds help find lost city of Zippaland

The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who founded an empire that included Anatolia, the northern Levant, and Upper Mesopotamia.

Archaeologists from the University of Pisa are excavating at Uşaklı Höyük, an important Hittite settlement in Turkey’s Yozgat province, Heritage Daily reported.

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The establishment of the Hittite kingdom is usually attributed to Labarnos I or Hattusili I in the 17th century BC and lasts until 1190 BC. e., although after the collapse of the empire a number of so-called Syro-Hittite states appeared in Anatolia and Northern Syria.

Much of what is known about the Hittites comes from cuneiform texts written either in Akkadian (the diplomatic language of the time) or in various dialects of the Hittite confederation, as well as from diplomatic and commercial correspondence found in the archives of Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt. and the Middle East.

Tablets found at Hattus (Hittite capital) describe Zippalanda, one of the ancient Hittite cult centers dedicated to the Hittite air god. The tablets record Zipalandi’s city life, festivals and rituals and mention a temple to the storm god known as Ziplantil, Washezzil, Washezzil or Washezzashu.

The Hittite air gods were lords of the sky and mountains. They sent thunder, lightning, clouds, rain, and storms from above, and the weather god Zippalanda was also worshiped for fertility and was called “the lion” among the pantheon of Hittite gods.

Archaeologists from the University of Pisa, in collaboration with the Turkish Archaeological Mission, are excavating in the large cut mound of Uşaklı Mound, which has long been considered one of the possible sites for the lost city of Zippaland.

During excavations this season, the team found a circular structure, possibly from the Hittite period, just north of the city’s main temple. The function and purpose of the structure remains a mystery, but Professor Anacleto D’Agostino of the University of Pisa believes the structure served a ritual purpose.

In previous excavations, four cuneiform and pottery sherds were found, confirming that the mound was developed during the Hittite period, as well as several structures interpreted as temples and castles.

“This structure, along with other finds unearthed over the years, will help solidify Uşakla’s identification with the important Hittite city of Zippalanda, which was mentioned as the cult center of the mighty storm god, the royal residence, and at various festivals attended by the king,” said the professor. Anacheto D’Agostino.

Previously Focus He spoke of the giant hall of the Viking Age. It was excavated in Denmark.

Source: Focus

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