Sarissa is an important Hittite settlement located in central Anatolia, within the borders of present-day Yozgat province, at the site known as Kuşaklı. Dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, this ancient city is particularly renowned for its rich archives of Hittite cuneiform texts. Sarissa served as both a strategic and administrative center during the Hittite Empire period.

History

While traces of Sarissa's history extend back to Anatolia's Early Bronze Age, the city gained its true significance in the 2nd millennium BCE, during the powerful Hittite Empire. Constructed during periods when the Hittites solidified their dominance in the region, Sarissa functioned as an important administrative and religious center, not independent of the empire's central administration but possibly possessing a degree of local autonomy. Especially from the 15th century BCE onwards, during the Hittite New Kingdom period, the city witnessed a rich cultural and political life, supported by written documents. The archives, consisting of thousands of tablets unearthed during excavations, provide invaluable information for understanding Sarissa's place within the Hittite state organization and the social, economic, and religious structure of the period. It is believed that the city was abandoned around the 12th century BCE with the collapse of the Hittite Empire; this situation can be linked to the widespread turmoil, population movements, and Sea Peoples' invasions experienced across Anatolia.

Geographic Location

Sarissa is strategically located in the northeastern part of the Central Anatolian Region, on the western slopes of the Çekerek Valley. The Kuşaklı site, where the city was founded, is situated on a high and naturally defensible plateau, notable for its proximity to fertile agricultural lands and water sources. This location provided Sarissa with both a defensive advantage and a suitable base for agricultural activities in its surroundings. In antiquity, being situated on important transit routes of Central Anatolia may have made Sarissa an observation point near the eastern borders of the Hittite Empire and a stop on trade routes. Although definitive information about neighboring cities is lacking, it is presumed to have been in a location that facilitated access to other important Hittite settlements, such as the capital Hattuşa, thereby increasing the city's importance within the regional network.

Significance in Antiquity

Sarissa held great administrative and cultural significance during the Hittite Empire period. The cuneiform tablets found during excavations indicate that the city was more than just a settlement; it played an active role in the administrative and religious functioning of the Hittite state. These archives, with documents of various types such as treaties, letters, administrative records, omen texts, and religious rituals, offer in-depth information about the political relations, laws, economic activities, and belief systems of the era. Sarissa's possession of such a rich written archive strengthens the possibility that it was a regional administrative center or an important temple city. It is thought that the city served as a strategic garrison city tasked with protecting the eastern borders of the Hittite Empire and maintaining its connection with the interior of Anatolia, or as an important cult center. With these characteristics, Sarissa made critical contributions to the understanding of Hittite civilization.

Coinage

No coins from this settlement are recorded in the NumisTR database. As Sarissa is a settlement from the Hittite period in the 2nd millennium BCE, when coinage had not yet been invented or was not widely used, economic activities were largely conducted through a barter system or by means of metal ingots used as units of weight.

Archaeological Remains

Sarissa, located at the modern-day Kuşaklı site, has yielded significant remains through archaeological excavations. The central part of the city, surrounded by strong fortifications