Editing Anatolia (section)

====Hittite Anatolia (18th–12th centuries BCE)====
{{main|Hittites}}
[[File:Sphinx_Gate,_Hattusa_01.jpg|thumb|The Sphinx Gate in [[Hattusa]]]]

Unlike the Akkadians and Assyrians, whose Anatolian trading posts were peripheral to their core lands in [[Mesopotamia]], the [[Hittites]] were centered at [[Hattusa]] (modern Boğazkale) in north-central Anatolia by the 17th century BCE. They were speakers of an Indo-European language, the [[Hittite language]], or ''nesili'' (the language of Nesa) in Hittite. The Hittites originated from local ancient cultures that grew in Anatolia, in addition to the arrival of Indo-European languages. Attested for the first time in the Assyrian tablets of [[Kültepe|Nesa]] around 2000 BCE, they conquered Hattusa in the 18th century BCE, imposing themselves over Hattian- and Hurrian-speaking populations. According to the widely accepted [[Kurgan theory]] on the [[Proto-Indo-European homeland]], however, the Hittites (along with the other Indo-European [[ancient Anatolians]]) were themselves relatively recent [[Indo-European migrations|immigrants]] to Anatolia from the north. However, they did not necessarily displace the population genetically; they assimilated into the former peoples' culture, preserving the Hittite language.

The Hittites adopted the Mesopotamian [[cuneiform script]]. In the Late Bronze Age, [[Hittites#New Kingdom|Hittite New Kingdom]] ({{circa|1650 BCE}}) was founded, becoming an empire in the 14th century BCE after the conquest of [[Kizzuwatna]] in the south-east and the defeat of the [[Assuwa league]] in western Anatolia. The empire reached its height in the 13th century BCE, controlling much of Asia Minor, northwestern [[Syria]], and northwest upper Mesopotamia. However, the Hittite advance toward the Black Sea coast was halted by the semi-nomadic pastoralist and tribal [[Kaskians]], a non-Indo-European people who had earlier displaced the [[Palaic language|Palaic-speaking]] Indo-Europeans.<ref>Carruba, O. ''Das Palaische. Texte, Grammatik, Lexikon''. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1970. StBoT 10</ref> Much of the history of the Hittite Empire concerned war with the rival empires of [[Egypt]], [[Assyria]] and the [[Mitanni]].<ref name="Roux">Georges Roux – Ancient Iraq</ref>

The [[Ancient Egypt]]ians eventually withdrew from the region after failing to gain the upper hand over the Hittites and becoming wary of the power of Assyria, which had destroyed the Mitanni Empire.<ref name="Roux"/> The Assyrians and Hittites were then left to battle over control of eastern and southern Anatolia and colonial territories in [[Syria]]. The Assyrians had better success than the Egyptians, annexing much Hittite (and Hurrian) territory in these regions.<ref name="Georges Roux 1966">Georges Roux, ''Ancient Iraq''. Penguin Books, 1966. {{ISBN?}}</ref>