Nerik
 | |
  Nerik Location of Nerik in Turkey | |
| Alternative name | Narak |
|---|---|
| Location | Oymaağaç, Vezirköprü,Samsun Province,Turkey |
| Region | Black Sea Region |
| Coordinates | 41°12′25″N35°25′12″E/ 41.207°N 35.420°E |
| History | |
| Abandoned | 1200 BC |
| Periods | Hittites |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 2005– |
| Archaeologists | Rainer Maria Czichon |
Nerik(Hittite:Nerik(ka)[1]) was aBronze Agesettlement to the north of theHittitecapitalsHattusaandSapinuwa,probably in thePontic region.[2]Since 2005–2009, the site of Nerik has been identified asOymaağaç Höyük,[3]on the eastern side of theKızılırmak River,7 km (4.3 mi) northwest ofVezirköprü.
History
[edit]It was occupied in the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze. The Hittites held it as sacred to aStorm-godwho was the son ofWurušemu,Sun-goddessofArinna.The weather god is associated or identified withMount Zaliyanunear Nerik, responsible for bestowing rain on the city.
Hittite Old Kingdom
[edit]Nerik was founded byHattic languagespeakers asNarak;[1]in the Hattusa archive, tablet CTH 737 records a Hatticincantationfor a festival there. UnderHattusili I,theNesite-speaking Hittites took over Nerik. They maintained a spring festival called "Puruli"in honor of the Storm-god of Nerik. In it, the celebrants recited the myth of the slaying ofIlluyanka.
UnderHantili,Nerik was ruined and the Hittites had to relocate the Puruli festival to Hattusa.
Hittite Middle Kingdom
[edit]As of the reign ofTudhaliya I,Nerik's site was occupied by the barbarianKaskas,whom the Hittites blamed for its initial destruction.[4]
Hittite New Kingdom
[edit]DuringMuwatalli II's reign (c. 1290 BC), his brother and appointed governorHattusili IIIrecaptured Nerik and rebuilt it as its High Priest. Hattusili named his firstborn son "Nerikkaili" in commemoration (although he later passed him over for the succession).
Seven years after Muwatalli's sonMursili IIIbecame king (c. 1270s BC), Mursili reassigned Nerik to another governor. Hattusili rebelled and became king himself.
Nerik disappeared from the historical record when the Hittite kingdom fell, ca. 1200 BC.
Excavations
[edit]In 2005, Rainer Maria Czichon and Jörg Klinger of theFree University of Berlinbegan excavatingOymaağaç Höyük.Thus far, this is the northernmost place ofAnatoliawith remains from the Hittite Empire, including "three fragments of tablets and abullawith stamps of the scribe Sarini. In addition, mention of the mountains, in which Nerik was located, have been found at the site, as well as features suggestive of monumental Hittite architecture. "[5]The team has published a number of articles related to their excavations.[6]
According to Czichon, who is currently[when?]in the archaeology faculty atUşak University,many stone and loom artifacts were unearthed during the excavations. Mining tools were found for copper deposits situated at nearby Tavşan Mountain field. The most valuable artifacts are tablets withcuneiform script,which point out the site as Nerik. An inventory list showing tools, including silver trays and golden bullae contained in an unknown shrine, is also among the findings.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ab"Nerik(ka)."Reallexikon der Assyriologie.
- ^Bryce, Trevor (2005).Kingdom of the Hittites: New Edition.Oxford University Press. p. 113.ISBN0199281327.
- ^Piotr Taracha (2015). "Looking for Ziplanda. The Hittite Names of Kuşsaray and Kaletepe". In Anacleto D’Agostino; Valentina Orsi; Giulia Torri (eds.).Sacred Landscapes of Hittites and Luwians.Proceedings of the International Conference in Honour of Franca Pecchioli Daddi, Florence, February 6th-8th 2014. Firenze University Press. p. 57.
- ^Singer, Itamar (2007)."Who were the Kaška?".Phasis.10(II). Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University: 167. Archived fromthe originalon 30 August 2016.Retrieved15 July2015.
- ^"Oymaagac-Nerik Project".Freie Universität Berlin. Archived fromthe originalon December 11, 2017.RetrievedJuly 15,2015.
- ^"Bibliographie".Nerik.de.Oymaagac-Nerik-Forschungsprojekt.Retrieved2018-12-27.
- ^"Religious center of Hittites comes to light".Hürriyet Daily News(in Turkish). 2016-08-13.Retrieved2016-08-13.
