The Kaska (also Kaška , later Tabalian Kasku and Gasga ) were a loosely affiliated Bronze Age non-Indo-European tribal people, who spoke the unclassified Kaskian language and lived in mountainous East Pontic Anatolia , known from Hittite sources. They lived in the mountainous region between the core Hittite region in eastern Anatolia and the Black Sea , and are cited as the reason that the later Hittite Empire never extended northward to that area. They are sometimes identified with the Caucones known from Greek records.
33-659: The Kaska, probably originating from the eastern shore of the Propontis , may have displaced the speakers of the Palaic language from their home in Pala . The Kaska first appear in the Hittite prayer inscriptions that date from the reign of Hantili II , c. 1450 BC, and make references to their movement into the ruins of the holy city of Nerik . During the reign of Hantili's son, Tudhaliya II (c. 1430 BC), " Tudhaliya 's 3rd campaign
66-529: A 2019 regional archaeological survey, called the Konya Regional Archaeological Survey Project, Oriental Institute of Chicago archaeologists unearthed a monumental Luwian Hieroglyphs inscription in an irrigation ditch. Investigation showed that the stone had originally been at the top of the mound but had been moved during illegal excavations. The inscription detailed a ruler named Harapu's victory over Muska, which
99-587: A leader named Piyapili , but Piyapili was no match for Suppiluliuma. Eventually, Tudhaliya and Suppiluliuma returned Hattusa to the Hittites. But the Kaska continued to be a menace both inside and out and a constant military threat. They are said to have fielded as many as 9,000 warriors and 800 chariots. In the time of ailing Arnuwanda II (around 1323 BC), the Hittites worried that the Kaskas from Ishupitta within
132-519: A prisoner to Hattusas. Mursili then switched to a defensive strategy, with a chain of border fortresses north to the Devrez . Even so, in the early 13th century, when Mursili's son Muwatalli II was king in Hatti, the Kaskas sacked Hattusa. Muwatalli stopped enlisting Kaska as troops; he moved his capital to Tarhuntassa to the south; and he appointed his brother, the future Hattusili III , as governor over
165-726: A storm on 29 December 1999, the Russian oil tanker Volgoneft broke in two in the Sea of Marmara, spilling more than 1,500 tonnes of oil into the water. In 2021 the shores of the Sea of Marmara were disfigured by marine mucilage - nicknamed 'sea snot' - caused, at least in part, by the dumping of untreated waste into the water. Towns and cities on the coast of the Sea of Marmara include: Bursa Province Çanakkale Province Tekirdağ Province Tarhuntassa Tarḫuntašša ( Hittite : 𒀭𒅎𒋫𒀸𒊭 and Hieroglyphic Luwian : 𔖖𔓢𔕙𔑯𔗦 : lit. ' City of Tarhunt ' )
198-569: A treaty inscribed in bronze. At this time, Kurunta was leading his forces to war with Parha . This treaty, unlike previous treaties involving Tarhuntassa, calls to witness the Hittites' vassal kings of Mira and the Seha River Land on the Aegean coast. This implies that Tarhuntassa's stature was now a matter of importance for all western Anatolia. Kurunta later claimed the title of Great King for himself. Whether or not this claim extended to
231-478: A year. LINE 3 - And Azari-Tiwata (or less likely Ap(a)ri-Tiwata), the scribe, car[ved (this)]." Because an already known inscription referred to a Hartapu son of Mursili which some suggested was Mursili III a known king of Tarḫuntašša some researchers speculated Türkmen-Karahöyük was Tarḫuntašša. The excavators determined that the inscription dated to the 8th century BC, much too recent to be related to Tarḫuntašša and continue to stand by that view though not precluding
264-516: Is 1,370 m (4,490 ft). The Sea of Marmara is named after the largest island on its south side, called Marmara Island because it is rich in marble ( Greek μάρμᾰρον , mármaron 'marble'). In classical antiquity , it was known as the Propontis , from the Greek words pro 'before' and pontos 'sea', reflecting the fact that the Ancient Greeks used to sail through it to reach
297-443: Is at the site of Meydancık Castle and that Tarḫuntassa was another name for Hulaya River Land. In the early 13th century BC, Muwatalli II moved the Hittite capital from Hattusa to Tarhuntassa. The reasons for this move remain unclear. Official records postdating Muwatalli II's death state that he moved the capital as the result of an omen. Generally, archaeologists explain the move as a military strategy, in order to be closer to
330-673: Is privately owned by the Koç family of industrialists. The North Anatolian Fault runs under the sea and has triggered several major earthquakes , such as those in Izmit and Düzce in August and November 1999 respectively. The August 1999 earthquake is commonly referred to as the Marmara Earthquake since its epicentre lay under the Sea and most of the places worst affected by the quake and ensuing tsunami lay along its shores. During
363-840: The Susurluk , Biga (Granicus), and Gönen Rivers also reduces the salinity of the sea, though with less effect than on the Black Sea. With little land in Thrace draining southward, almost all of these rivers flow from Anatolia . There are two main groups of islands in the Sea of Marmara. To the north lie the Princes' Islands , an archipelago made up of the inhabited islands of Kınaliada , Burgazada , Heybeliada , Büyükada and Sedef Adası and several uninhabited islands including Sivriada , Yassıada , Kaşıkadası and Tavşanadası . The inhabited islands are readily accessible by ferry from both
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#1732765394514396-617: The Aegean Sea [A line joining Kum Kale (26°11'E) and Cape Helles ]. On the Northeast . A line joining Cape Rumili with Cape Anatoli (41°13′N). The sea's south coast is heavily indented and includes the Gulf of İzmit ( Turkish : İzmit Körfezi ), the Gulf of Gemlik ( Turkish : Gemlik Körfezi ), the Gulf of Bandırma ( Turkish : Bandırma Körfezi ), and the Gulf of Erdek ( Turkish : Erdek Körfezi ). The surface salinity of
429-652: The Black Sea , which they called Pontos . In Greek mythology , a storm on the Propontis brought the Argonauts back to an island they had left, precipitating a battle in which either Jason or Heracles killed King Cyzicus , who had mistaken them for his Pelasgian enemies. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Sea of Marmara as follows: On the West . The Dardanelles limit of
462-525: The Konya Plain , was investigated and put forward as the site of Tarḫuntassa by Michele Massa, James Osborne and Christoph Bachhuber. Previously proposed locations include Konya , Sirkeli Höyük in Cilicia , the vicinity of Kayseri , and Kilise Tepe (formerly known as Maltepe). Kızıldağ has been suggested based on the idea that Hartapus was possibly a ruler of Tarḫuntassa. Another proposed location
495-747: The Proto-Colchian or Zan autochthons, forming a polity which was known as the Kolkha to the Urartians and later as the Colchis to the Greeks . Another branch might have established themselves in Cappadocia , which in the 8th century BC became a vassal of Assyria and ruled some Anatolian areas. According to I. Singer , Kaskians and Hattians are different branches of the same people. However, if
528-511: The 12th century BC that the Kaska (whom he referred to as "Apishlu") and their Mushki and Urumu ( Urumeans ) allies were active in what had been the Hatti heartland. Tiglath-Pileser defeated them, and the Kaska then disappear from all historical records. Repulsed by the Assyrians, a subdivision of the Kaska might have passed north-eastwards to the Caucasus , where they probably blended with
561-535: The European and Asian shores of İstanbul and the entire archipelago forms part of the conurbation. To the south lie the Marmara Islands , an archipelago made up of the eponymous Marmara Island and three other inhabited islands – Avşa , Paşalimanı and Ekinlik – as well as of seventeen largely uninhabited islands including the prison island of Imralı whose most famous prisoner, since 1999, has been
594-881: The Hattians were assimilated by the Hittites, then the Kaskians were pushed to the periphery of their former territory. Propontis The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea , is a small inland sea located entirely within the borders of Turkey . It connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, separating Turkey’s European and Asian sides. It has an area of 11,350 km (4,380 sq mi), and its dimensions are 280 km × 80 km (174 mi × 50 mi). Its greatest depth
627-548: The Kaskas' grain. The hungry Kaska were able to join with Hayasa-Azzi and Isuwa to the east, as well as other enemies of the Hittites, and burn Hattusa , the Hittite capital, to the ground. They probably also burned the Hittites' secondary capital Sapinuwa . Suppiluliuma's grandson Hattusili III in the mid-13th century BC wrote of the time before Tudhaliya. He said that in those days the Kaska had "made Nenassa their frontier" and that their allies in Azzi-Hayasa had done
660-541: The Marmara averages about 22 parts per thousand, which is slightly more than that of the Black Sea , but only about two-thirds that of most oceans . The water is much more saline at the bottom of the sea, averaging a salinity of around 38 parts per thousand, similar to that of the Mediterranean Sea . This high-density saline water does not migrate to the surface as is also the case with the Black Sea. Water from
693-544: The PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan . These islands lie within Balıkesir province and are most readily accessible from Tekirdağ in Thrace or Erdek on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. In high summer additional ferries travel to Avşa and Marmara Islands from the centre of İstanbul to facilitate a growing tourist trade. There are also a few individual islands elsewhere in the Sea of Marmara, such as Koç Adası, off Tuzla , which
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#1732765394514726-477: The Syrian region in preparation for battle with Ramses II at Kadesh . However, Itamar Singer has proposed instead that Muwatalli II moved the capital as part of a religious reform, attempting to elevate his personal god Pihassassi, the storm-god of lightning, to a more powerful position in Hittite religious observance. A third explanation is that at this point in time, Tarhuntassa was more centrally located within
759-526: The epigraphers propose is Phrygia but which is still unresolved. "LINE 1 - Great King Kartapu, Hero, Mursili’s son. LINE 2 - When he (i.e. Kartapu) conquered the country of Muska, the enemy came down (into) the land. The Storm-god of heaven (and) all the gods placed 13 (enemy) kings (into) the hand (of) His Majesty, Great King Hartapu. (And) he (i.e. Hartapu) took (these) 13 kings down, (with their) shields/protection and cattle (at their/and) 10 mighty-fortresses (with their) great orthostats/stones/walls (within)
792-576: The kingdom to Kammama without might take advantage of the plague in Hatti. The veteran commander Hannutti moved to Ishupitta, but he died there. Ishupitta then seceded from Hatti, and Arnuwanda died too. Arnuwanda's brother and successor Mursili II recorded in his annals that he defeated this rebellion. Over the ongoing decades, the Kaskans were also active in Durmitta and in Tipiya, by Mount Tarikarimu in
825-426: The land of Ziharriya, and by Mount Asharpaya on the route to Pala; they rebelled and/or performed egregious banditry in each place. At first, Mursili defeated each Kaska uprising piecemeal. The Kaska united for the first time under Pihhuniya of Tipiya, who "ruled like a king" the Hittites recorded. Pihhuniya conquered Istitina and advanced as far as Zazzissa. But Mursili defeated this force and brought Pihhuniya back as
858-640: The network of overland and sea routes connecting the Hittite empire and beyond, making it an ideal capital for managing trade and communication throughout the territory. Muwatalli II's son Mursili III later moved the capital back to Hattusa. After Hattusili III deposed Mursili, the new king appointed Muwatalli's son Kurunta as king in Tarhuntassa. The treaty mostly refers to the appointed king as Ulmi-Tessup; consequently, some scholars believe that Ulmi-Tessup and Kurunta are two different rulers of Tarhuntassa. Tudhaliya IV re-ratified Kurunta as king in
891-553: The northern marches . Hattusili defeated the Kaska to the point of recapturing Nerik, and when he took over the kingdom he returned the capital to Hattusa. The Kaska may have contributed to the fall of the Hittite empire in the Bronze Age collapse , c. 1200 BC. Then they penetrated eastern Anatolia, and continued their thrust southwards, where they encountered the Assyrians . The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser I recorded late in
924-484: The permanent landscape. Tudhaliya III and Suppiluliuma I (c. 1375–1350 BC) set up their court in Samuha and invaded Azzi-Hayasa from there. The Kaska intervened, but Suppiluliuma defeated them; after Suppiluliuma had fully pacified the region, Tudhaliya and Suppiluliuma were able to move on Hayasa and defeat it too, despite some devastating guerrilla tactics at their rear. Some twelve tribes of Kaska then united under
957-531: The same to Samuha . In the Amarna letters , Amenhotep III wrote to the Arzawan king Tarhunta-Radu that the "country Hattusa" was obliterated, and further asked for Arzawa to send him some of these Kaska people of whom he had heard. The Hittites also enlisted subject Kaska for their armies. When the Kaska were not raiding or serving as mercenaries, they raised pigs and wove linen, leaving scarcely any imprint on
990-636: The site being Tarḫuntašša in Middle Bronze times. At the site of Kızıldağ, about 13 kilometers to the south-southeast, there is another inscription (one of 4 similar inscriptions found there) of a Hartapu on an outcrop. At this time the collation, the translation, and the chronology of both the Kızıldağ inscriptions and the Türkmen-Karahöyük inscription (as well as similar inscriptions at BURUNKAYA and Topada) are still unsettled. Dating for
1023-756: The whole domain of Hatti, the court in Hattusa contested it (and buried the treaty). Toward the end of the Hittite empire, Suppiluliuma II recorded in a Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription that Hatti had attacked and sacked the city of Tarhuntassa. Though occupied beginning in the Late Chalcolithic period this site was most heavily occupied in the Late Bronze Age ( c. 1300 -1100 BC) and Middle Iron Age ( c. 900 -600 BC). At those times it reached an extent of over 120 hectares making it largest site in west and central Anatolia. During
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1056-509: Was a Bronze Age city in south-central Anatolia (modern-day Turkey ) mentioned in contemporary documents. Its location is unknown. The city was the capital of the Hittite Empire for a time and later became a regional power in its own right. The kingdom controlled by the city is known by the same name and its approximate borders are known from texts. In 2019, a previously little-researched site at Türkmen-Karahöyük , near Çumra on
1089-501: Was against the Kaskas." His successor Arnuwanda I composed a prayer for the gods to return Nerik to the empire; he also mentioned Kammama and Zalpuwa as cities which he claimed had been Hittite but which were now under the Kaskas. Arnuwanda attempted to mollify some of the Kaska tribes by means of tribute. Sometime between the reigns of Arnuwanda and Suppiluliuma I (about 1330 BC), letters found in Maşat Höyük note that locusts ate
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