After the Hittites: The Kingdoms of Karkamish and Palistin in Northern Syria

Abstract

The disappearance and weakening of the Late Bronze Age territorial empires in the Eastern Mediterranean shortly after 1200 BC is traditionally held to be followed by a so-called Dark Age of around 300 years, characterized by a lack of written sources. However, new sources are appearing, mainly in the medium of Hieroglyphic Luwian inscriptions, which help us to understand events and, more importantly, political and geographical power constellations during the period. The new sources are briefly situated within the framework of the current debates, with special regard given to the territories of Karkamish and Palistin. Emphasis is laid on the apparent continuation of local idioms for the articulation of power, largely persisting from the Hittite Empire, in spite of any changes in population, social structure, or political institutions that may have occurred.

Beyond megadrought and collapse in the Northern Levant: The chronology of Tell Tayinat and two historical inflection episodes, around 4.2ka BP, and following 3.2ka BP

“…Our chronology allows comparison of some persons known from the epigraphic record and likely linked with names thought to refer to Tell Tayinat or its territory [ 47 , 60 – 62 ] (see Table 5 ). The Aleppo Citadel inscription of king Taita, hero and ruler of Palistin, is dated to the 11 th century BCE on the basis of paleography and iconography [ 60 – 62 ]. The currently proposed chronological scheme would link this ruler to Tayinat Phases 6a to 5.…”

“…This is particularly true in the period stretching from the late 12 th through 10 th centuries BCE, where historical documentation has been scarce. Although new inscriptional evidence is beginning to provide a historical framework for this period, the precise chronology of these historical developments remains fluid, uncertain, and largely based on paleographical grounds as newly emerging finds regularly require the revision of historical chronologies and king lists [ 60 – 62 , 98 , 99 ]. In the 9 th –8 th centuries BCE, historical documentation becomes more frequent from Neo-Assyrian records, as a result of their increasing contacts with this region, and then their takeover and administrative control from the late 8 th century BCE onward [ 65 – 68 , 100 ].…”

Shifting Networks and Community Identity at Tell Tayinat in the Iron I (ca. 12th to Mid 10th Century B.C.E.)

“…12 Reference to Walastin also occurs on two fragmentary Hieroglyphic Luwian inscriptions from Tell Tayinat 13 and on the recently 5 Bryce 1992. 6 Hawkins 1988, 1995, 2002Weeden 2013. 7 Sürenhagen 1986Güterbock 1992;Bryce 1998.…”

“…7 Sürenhagen 1986Güterbock 1992;Bryce 1998. 8 Hawkins 1988, 1995, 2002 Kohlmeyer 2000Kohlmeyer , 2011Gonnella et al 2005;Hawkins 2011;Weeden 2013. 10 Hawkins 2009Weeden 2013.…”

“…For more detail, seeHawkins 2002Hawkins , 2009 Harrison 2009a Harrison , 2013Weeden 2013; Younger 2016, 113-47. …”