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Celestial Aspects of Hittite Religion: An Investigation of the Rock Sanctuary Yazılıkaya
JournalArticle (Originalarbeit in einer wissenschaftlichen Zeitschrift)
 
ID 4526043
Author(s) Zangger, Eberhard; Gautschy, Rita
Author(s) at UniBasel Gautschy, Rita
Year 2019
Title Celestial Aspects of Hittite Religion: An Investigation of the Rock Sanctuary Yazılıkaya
Journal Journal of Skyscape Archaeology
Volume 5
Number 1
Pages / Article-Number 5-38
Keywords Bronze Age Anatolia, Hittite religion, Yazılıkaya, lunisolar calendar, ancient calendars, archaeoastronomy
Abstract Regular celestial events assumed remarkable significance for the cultic rituals of the Hittite civilisation (c. 1600-1180 BC) in central Asia Minor. Numerous texts found at the capital Ḫattuša relate to solar deities and celestial divination reminiscent of Old Babylonian astronomical and astrological practices. Here we suggest that the rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, which was considered one of the holiest places in the Hittite kingdom, had a calendrical function. It contains more than 90 rock-cut reliefs, dating to the second half of the thirteenth century BC, of deities, humans, animals and mythical figures. The reliefs in Chamber A are arranged in groups to mark the days, synodic months and solar years. Using this system, the Hittite priests were able to determine when additional months were required to keep lunar and solar years aligned. The astronomical and astrological interpretation of Yazılıkaya serves as a point of departure for a brief re-examination of celestial aspects in Hittite religion.
Publisher Equinox
ISSN/ISBN 2055-348X ; 2055-3498
URL https://journals.equinoxpub.com/JSA/article/view/37641
edoc-URL https://edoc.unibas.ch/74462/
Full Text on edoc Available
Digital Object Identifier DOI 10.1558/jsa.37641
 
   

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