The Progress of Hittite Studies—II¹

Abstract

THE new documents bearing on home affairs, Tthough numerous, are not easy of interpretation. It is known from a cursory examination of more than 2000 fragments that the subject matter includes kings' speeches, chronicles and decrees, wills, deeds of gifts and patents of nobility, treaties, legal agreements, inventories (both civil and military), registers of landed property, codes of law as well as detailed military regulations. A large proportion deals with religious matters, including descriptions of festivals and ritual; prayers and legends; questions for the oracles, soothsayers' texts, incantations, and so forth. There is evidently material for reconstructing the social institutions and organisation of Asia Minor under the Hattie kings that will in due time become intelligible. Already, notwithstanding the difficulties of language, the nature of the kingship and government, and the military organisation of the confederated states may be discerned in outline with a measure of certainty.