Hittite artifacts are relatively rare, making this discovery particularly noteworthy. The bracelet provides a tangible link to the Hittite civilization and offers insights into their craftsmanship, artistic traditions, and social practices.
A farmer in Turkey’s Çorum province uncovered a rare 3,300-year-old ancient bracelet from the Hittite era while plowing his field.
A farmer in the Çitli village of Çorum’s Mecitözü district discovered the bracelet, which he found while plowing his field about 3 years ago, near the Çorum Museum, thinking it might have historical value.
The gold-embroidered bracelet, which was determined to be about 3,300 years old by the experts in the museum, was taken to the laboratory for restoration.
Experts found out that the artifact is from the ancient Hittite civilization and carries out restoration work. They then recorded it in the museum’s inventory and put it in the collection.
The beautiful bracelet is made out of bronze, nickel, silver, and gold and is adorned with depictions of Hittite symbols, including images of the Hurrain goddess Shaushka and her servants Ninatta and Kulitta.
Shaushka (Shaushka), also called Shausha or Shawushka, was the highest-ranked goddess in the Hittite pantheon, associated with love and war, as well as with incantations and by extension with healing. While she was usually referred to as a goddess and with feminine titles, such as allai (Hittite: “lady”), references to masculine Shaushka are also known.
Dating back to the 13th century BC, the beautiful bracelet is made of bronze, nickel, silver, and gold. Photo: İHA
Ninatta and Kulitta were two goddesses always invoked together who were at the hands of the Hurrain goddess Shaushka, the Hittite counterpart of Mesopotamian Ishtar.
Rasul Ibiş, an archaeologist at the museum, told Ihlara News Agency (IHA) that the bracelet has been put on display for visitors.
“After initial evaluations, we realize that this piece is unprecedented, and we’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said, adding that it is from the 13th century B.C.
Ibiş also noted that the bracelet was deformed when it was brought to the museum, and some of its pieces were missing, but they restored it.
The archaeologist also noted that there are very few pieces of Hittite-era jewelry, and this piece sheds light on the jewelry styles of the civilization.
