A Group of Votive Vessels in Tatarlı Höyük from the Hittite Empire Period

Abstract

Excavations in Tatarlı Höyük, located east of Plain Cilicia, present us with architectural finds and other findings that reveal the importance of the 2nd Millennium BC layers in the settlement. In the middle of the second millennium BC, the Kizzuwatna State was established as a Hurrian kingdom in the Çukurova Region and had significant effects on the Hittite religious and cultural life, especially during the Hittite Empire Period. In this period, when the Hittite political and cultural structure was strongly felt, architecture, ceramics, and small finds belonging to this culture were found in the main settlements of the region. Among these finds, there are some pots, which are thought to have ‘votive’ functions as a reflection of Hittite religious life, and which attract attention with their miniature sizes, which are unsuitable for daily use. This article introduces a group of miniature bowls and jugs found in Tatarlı Höyük settlement between 2007-2016. A total of 11 miniature bowls and four miniature jugs were found during the mentioned excavation seasons. One of these vessels was found in the fill of the space called Structure A in Tatarlı Höyük, thought to be a temple. The miniature bowls were also handled with a typological classification in terms of form, and each type was compared with their counterparts in the main settlements of the Hittite world. Considering that these types of vessels found in Tatarlı, which are not suitable for daily use in terms of functionality, were found in modern settlements, especially in temple areas in Boğazköy, it can be suggested that they had a votive function and were used in religious ceremonies.

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