Priest-King or Deity

c. 1600 BCE

Hittite, North Syria

Medium

basalt with bone eyes (left, ancient; right, restored)

Measurements

Overall: 87.6 cm (34 1/2 in.)
Weight: 39.463 kg (87 lbs.)

Credit Line

Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1971.45

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Location

102A Ancient Near East

Did You Know?

The left eye of the sculpture is the original bone inlay while the right eye is a modern restoration done after the piece was damaged.

Description

The Hittites migrated into Anatolia in the 3rd millennium BCE and spoke an Indo-European language, a group that includes Greek, Latin, Persian, Sanskrit, English, and most modern European languages. They were the first ancient people to use iron for weapons. From about 1600–1200 BCE their empire was at its peak, extending from central Anatolia to Syria, and south along the eastern Mediterranean. Their vast empire and interest in commerce enabled the Hittites to spread Mesopotamian ideas and culture throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. This large basalt sculpture is exceptionally rare in depicting a Hittite god or priest-king wearing a horned conical crown, false beard, and long robe. He holds a bowl in his right hand and once held something in his left, perhaps a staff or sword.