Remains of Young Children Hint at Hittite Rituals

Archaeology Magazine ^ | August 15, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

According to a La Brújula Verde report, excavations at the site of Uşakli Höyük in central Anatolia unearthed the remains of several infants, which may provide new insight into little-known Hittite burial practices. The partial or complete skeletons of at least seven young children were discovered by a team from the Italian Archaeological Mission in Central Anatolia near a mysterious stone feature simply known as the "Circular Structure." The building, which dates to the second millennium b.c., was first uncovered several years ago. Archaeologists still do not know its exact purpose, but believe it had ritual significance. The remains of the young infants and perinatal individuals were found in deposits closely associated with the enigmatic structure, alongside concentrations of ash, animal bones, and ceramic fragments. Although the Hittites left behind many written sources, there is no mention of their customs relating to deceased young children. These individuals were not usually interred in normal cemeteries in the ancient world, instead often receiving special treatment. According to excavation co-director Anacleto D'Agostino, the newly uncovered area could be a consecrated space dedicated to rituals connected with early death. One theory researchers have posited is that the adjacent circular building may have been a sanctuary associated with the Hittite Storm God. This may mean that Uşakli Höyük is actually the lost ancient city of Zippalanda, a major Hittite cult center dedicated to the deity. The site is recorded in inscriptions but has never been officially located. To read about the possible location of the Hittite Empire's elusive second capital, go to "Searching for Lost Cities: The Storm God's City."

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: fauxiantroll; fauxiantrolls; godsgravesglyphs; hattish; hittite; hittites; sarcophagus; tomb; usaklihoyuk; zippalanda

[GingisK]

Yes, but they had the excuse of being a pre-Christian pagan civilization

We are a post-Christian pagan civilization currently undergoing collapse.

[nwrep]

True.

[GingisK]

No mention of the word sacrafice

No evidence of it either. Perhaps those young people died of a disease; and, this form of burial was a community effort to honor them.

[x]

Those Hitlerites weren’t nice people, were they?

[SunkenCiv]

Siddhartha Gautama is considered the fourth Buddha of the current cycle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassapa_Buddha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood#The_Seven_Buddhas_of_Antiquity

[SunkenCiv]

Ordinarily when a population outgrows its multi-generational territory, it either makes a deal with the neighbors, or gets into a conflict with them. Precolumbian America was no different than any other place on Earth. Given the number of language families, I very much doubt that the Americas were settled in one go, by just one pretty small cultural group.

OTOH, I’d think the Polynesian expansion was probably merely the last coat of paint. At least some of the places they took over had been occupied before, but being islands, if the prior population had managed to lose inter-island mobility, it was bound to be a fight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_the_Indigenous_languages_of_the_Americas

[Skwor]

The Hittites were known to burn children alive on the high places, much like the mound they are digging on. The bones were found with animals and a lot of ashes, similar to common sacrifices done to molach. Why deny the obvious?

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, Hitler had some issues.

[GingisK]

Why deny the obvious?

Something to do. Freepers like to fuss. ;-D

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Sounds like they share more than a name

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Here is Grok’s conclusion…

“The Hittites in Deuteronomy 7:1 are likely a localized Canaanite group, possibly with cultural or ethnic ties to the Anatolian Hittites of Uşaklı Höyük, but not identical to them. The biblical Hittites were part of the Canaanite nations targeted for removal due to their idolatrous practices, as per the divine command to prevent cultural corruption. The Hittites of Uşaklı Höyük, as described in the article, represent the imperial Hittite civilization, whose influence reached Canaan but whose core was in Anatolia. While not the exact same group, the Canaanite Hittites in Deuteronomy may reflect a southern extension of this broader Hittite cultural sphere, as archaeological evidence suggests Hittite presence in Canaan during the relevant period.

“Ongoing DNA and paleobotanical studies at Uşaklı Höyük, as mentioned in the article, may further clarify the relationship between these populations, potentially revealing whether the Hittites in Canaan shared genetic or cultural markers with their Anatolian counterparts. For now, the connection is plausible but not definitive, as the biblical term likely applies to a localized subgroup within the broader Hittite cultural framework.

[Eli Kopter]

Possible. The Essenes pulled out of Qumran before the Romans invaded in 66. There were some holdouts , ans some who hid scrolls all the way to Masada in numerous caves. Also the place that the author were describing were near the springs. We found Roman artifacts, including catapult stones. The Romans had to pass by Qumran on the way to assault Masada, when they acquired Jewish slaves on the way to build the Catapult Ramp at Masada. Some hid from them, but most of the Scribes fled to the south. We reckoned the family we found were among those who hid in the numerous caves.

[Carry_Okie]

Given the number of language families, I very much doubt that the Americas were settled in one go, by just one pretty small cultural group.

I'm in total agreement there, particularly considering the persistence and spatial distribution of so many distinct language phyla. I suspect the maritime migration was one of the first. You'll recall that quote I posted from Juan Crespi about the song sung by maritime people of Queen Charlotte Is. as being the same as sung all the way to San Diego despite the distribution of those remote language families:

We saw the smoke of many :fires made by the inhabitants of the point, and that the land was well covered with trees resembling pines. With that point the land formed a good bay, and we noticed that from a roadstead in the land a canoe was com ing out and being rowed toward the frigate. While they were still some distance from the bark we heard them singing, and by the tone we knew them to be heathen, for they sing the same song as those from San Diego to Monterey. BTW, there is a map of California Indian language families on p17 of the site history chapter of the Wildergarten picture book.

[fidelis]

That is correct. The Hittite civilization proper collapsed around 1200 BC, about the time Israel were conquering Canaan. The Hittites mentioned in the Bible (like Uriah the Hittite) were most likely individual descendants of the Hittite empire. I remember reading recently that in the First Temple period, there was at least one village in Israel (in the Samaria region) that was populated by Hittites.

[SunkenCiv]

Nope. The OT Hittites are just a name, and it was borrowed for a then-newly discovered civ. And the conventional chronology is wrong.