Why did the mysterious great power of the Bronze Age suddenly come to an end after 500 years? When the Hittite Empire collapsed around 1200 BC. According to researchers, climatic factors in Asia Minor may have played an important role. Examinations of the ring structures of wooden finds indicate that the region was inhabited from 1198 BC. BC was hit by three severe drought years in a row. This extreme strain could possibly have played a key role in the collapse of the complex Hittite state system, the scientists say.
Along with the Egyptians, Greeks and Assyrians, they were the fourth great power in the eastern Mediterranean of the Bronze Age. At the height of their development, the Hittites controlled much of modern-day Turkey from their capital, Hattusa, as well as areas as far north as modern-day Israel. They also maintained diplomatic and trade relations with the other powers of their era - and waged wars with them. The battle of Kadesh (1274 BC) against the Egyptians is famous. For around 500 years, the Hittite Empire played an important role on the historical stage.
On the trail of paleoclimatic developments
But then came around 1200 B.C. the end under circumstances that have not yet been clarified: the state broke up and the capital Hattusa was eventually even abandoned. Various factors were blamed for this abrupt collapse - military defeats or internal power struggles possibly led to the end. However, social problems in connection with famine as a result of climate effects could also have played a further role. The researchers led by Sturt Manning from Cornell University in Ithaca investigated this possibility more closely as part of their study.
To gain insight into the climatic conditions in central Anatolia at the time in question, the researchers used dendrological methods: they examined wooden beams from juniper trees that came from a burial mound 230 kilometers west of Hattusa. They were built there centuries after the fall of the Hittite Empire, but came from trees that had already grown in the era of their rule. The team studied the characteristics of the wood's datable ring structures and also subjected them to isotopic analysis. The ratio of the different types of carbon atoms reflects the water supply of the plant at certain times.
Three years of extreme drought at the time of collapse
As the researchers report, it was generally apparent that the climate in the region was becoming increasingly dry in the late Hittite era. In this context, however, there was a particularly hard phase that fits exactly with the time frame of the collapse of the Hittite Empire: In the three years from 1198 to 1196 BC. there was extreme drought. "We have two complementary leads on this," says Manning. “The narrow growth rings indicate that the tree was struggling to survive. In the region, the only plausible reason for this is that there was little water. So there was a drought and this is particularly bad three years in a row. The stable isotopes obtained from the annual rings further confirm this explanation,” says Manning.
According to the researchers, the remains of granaries prove that the Hittites were basically prepared to bridge bad times. They also used dams and irrigation systems to cope with water shortages. However, these adjustments may no longer be sufficient in the event of an extreme event. For three consecutive years of drought, famine could have struck hundreds of thousands of people, including the huge Hittite army, the scientists say. This may have had domino effects: as a result, the old Hittite power systems may have irretrievably collapsed.
The state in which the climate event hit society and what other aspects were involved remains unclear. But against the background of the temporal correlation, it stands to reason that this particular period of drought was of considerable importance for the collapse of the empire. "Such extreme events can unbalance even well-organised, resilient societies," Manning said. In doing so, he finally directs the view from the past to our future threatened by climate change. "We too could be heading towards challenges for which our ability to adapt is no longer sufficient," says the scientist.
Source: Cornell University, professional article: Nature, doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05693-y