Tion of metal objects, jewelry, weapons, and vessels made from copper, silver, and

gold, 101 as well as two EB III ‘royal tombs’ in Dorak, on Lake Ulubat west of Bur-

102

sa, “ and another thirteen single and double burials from Alacahöyük, c. 25 km

, 103

North ol the Hittite Capital Hattusa (modern Bogazkale), ’ show social and politi-

Cal transformation in Anatolia of the discussed period. The wealth of the equipment

In these graves of local rulers is in contrast with the paucity of grave goods accom-

Panying ordinary burials from the same period, indicating that the ruler’s fate after

Death was different from that of the subjects. Yet, nothing in the grave goods inven-

Tory can be interpreted as actually connected with cult practices. The so-called Stan

dards from Alacahöyük have been mentioned in this Connection; these are metal fin-

Ials in the form of disks and openwork elements bearing ornamental motifs, as well

As animal images - bulls, deer and leopards. Similar Standards have been found

Alkim 1966; 1968: 94ff.

Seeher 1993.

löl Greavee — Helwing 2001: 477.

Schachermeyr 1959—1960; Lloyd 1967: 29ff.

103 Lloyd 1956: 96ff.; Mellink 1956: 3Sft; Sharp Joukowsky 1996: 167f. See now also Özyar 1999;

Gerber 2006a; 2öö6b.

PRE H i S'TORIC Anato 1,1 \

Also in torobs from other sites in central Anatolia (Balibagi near Qankm, Horoz-

Tepe, 301 Oymaagac near porum, 1 “’’ Mahmatlar near Amasya lj6). Their function con-

Tinues to be unclear. According to Maciej Popko, “the Standards were indeed the

Finiais of cult staffs which are well attested in later Hittite texte, both as Symbole of

deities belonging to the northern, Hattian reiigious tradition and as cult objects.” 10 ‘

If so, the dead buried in the graves at Alacahöyük would not be local rulere, but

Rather representatives of the local priestly aristocracy from the holy town of Zip-

Landa. 108 The theory, however, cannot be verified for lack of written sources from

This period.

Archaeological testimony of burial rites and sacrifices made to the dead is rare.

Pairs of skulle and hooves of oxen, lying originally on the beams covering the graves

1Ö9

at Alacahöyük, can be traces of the former. ' One should also mention in this con-

text a few burials of pairs of oxen from the cemetery at Demircihöyük-Sanket near

Eski@ehir. 11U Local burial customs are proven for the region around modern-day

Ankara, as indicated by round structures with a reet-angular Vestibüle known from the

Cemeteries in the region (Polath, Etiyokugu), possibly acting as funerary shrines.

Early Bronze Age chamber tomb complexes at Gre Virike, c. 10 km to the north of Kar-

Kamis, with chamber rows attached to them indicating a complex structure for the

Cult of the dead, should be considered in the context of similar tomb complexes

On the Middle Euphrates and in northern Syria from the second half of the third

113

millennium BC (Jerablus-Tahtani, Teil Banat, Teil Ah mar, Tall Bi’a, Teil Chuera).

L T. Özgü$ Akok 1.958; Tezci

\ T, Özgü$ 1980.

5 Ko§ay - Akok 1950.

' Popko 1996a: 45f.

I For the Identification of Alac

Haas 1994a: 591ff. However.

The basin of the Zuliya/Qeke

Firming a small distance be

(cf. 3.2.3) probably not too j

Identification of Zip! an da wi

n. 18), or with Qadir Höyük;

) Cf. Haas 1994a: 234.

) Seeher 1991; Seeher — Jansei

L Lloyd - Gökce 1951; cf. Pop’

3 Ökse 2006a; 2006b; 2006c; $

V Cf. McClellan 2004.

an i960; T. Özgü$ 1964.

sahöyük with Ziplanda, see Popko 1994: 13, 29ff., 90f.; 2000; cf. also

, a location of Ziplanda farther to the north or northeast, closer to

;rek river, appears more likely. The testimony of Hittite fcexts con-

Tween Ziplanda and centers in the Zuliva basin, such as Katapa

far to the northeast from Orfcaköy / Sapinuwa, argues against the

. th Ku§akh Höyük, Yozgat (Gurney 1995; Forlanini 2002: 261 with

near Aii§ar (Gorny 2006: 30).

n - Pernicka - Wittwer-Backofen 2000; cf. also Wi'Heitner 1992: 334.

Ko 1995a: 43f.

THE OLD ASSYRIAN COLONY PERIOD

From the outset of the second millennium BC Anatolia (or at least, its central and

Southeastern parts) entere upon historic times enlighten by written sources. Much