The Ancients The Hittites
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Apr 16, 2026 
Dr Elena Devecchi, Associate Professor at the University of Turin and Hittite specialist, guides listeners through royal intrigue and palace succession dramas. She explores Hattusha’s lion and sphinx gates, the Thousand Gods pantheon, ritual festivals and divination, the archive-rich cuneiform records, and dramatic moments like the sack of Babylon and Hittite diplomacy with other Bronze Age powers.
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Hittite Identity Formed By Migration And Integration
- The Hittites were an Indo-European group who integrated with local Anatolian populations rather than wiping them out.
- Their language is the oldest recorded Indo-European tongue and explains why scholars label the culture 'Hittite' despite mixed origins.
Hattusha's Archive Unlocks Hittite History
- The largest source for Hittite history is thousands of cuneiform tablets from Hattusha's royal and temple archives.
- These archives, plus Syrian and Amarna letters, provide diplomatic, religious and administrative detail unseen for many Bronze Age states.
Kings Held Unified Power While Queens Had Real Influence
- Hittite kings combined political, military, judicial and religious authority while queens and royal family members also exercised significant power.
- Early succession could move between powerful families before the dynasty consolidated hereditary rule.