ALALAKH

Early records and sources [i] date Alalakh’s origins between 2200 to 2000 BCE. By 2000 BCE the civilization had a sophisticated administrative system. A trading, communication, and political center controlled by a number of empires at different times, Alalakh declined after 1200 BCE. Some sources describe a ransacking [ii] by a group of seafarers [iii] who fought with the Hittites [iv]. Archeological sources suggest that there could have been a population shift from Alalakh to the nearby site of Tell Tayinat. This transition may have occurred as the Orontes River shifted leading to the eventual replacement of the city from one location to the next.

For a great deal of its history, Alalakh was a vassal state [v] for other empires. As a result of this, Alalakh had to navigate centuries of political bartering and violence caused by competing empires such as the Hittite, Mitanni [vi], and Yamhad [vii], who sought control of the area. These empires had a significant impact on Alalakh’s rulers and citizens; in 1700 BCE a fire was started, likely by the Hittites during a campaign against Yamhad. Archeological records show instability following this attack before the civilization became a vassal state to Mitanni. In about 1300 BCE, Alalakh fell to the Hittite Empire.

With an abundance of artifacts including metals, ivory, artwork, texts, and architecture influenced by both local and international cultures, Alalakh holds a very special place in the field of archeology today. In no small part, its role as an important archeological site also comes due to the work of early 20th-century archeologist Sir C. Leonard Woolley [viii]. His engaging writing on the many layers of Tell Atchana (Alalakh) both before and after WWII helped produce a foundation that has since been built upon in recent decades [ix], teaching us a great deal about ancient life and especially high culture during this period.

Despite control over the city shifting gradually over time, Alalakh often experienced [x] a high degree of autonomy and openness to foreign travelers. Alalakh’s role as a major international hub is evidenced in its multi-lingual archives, which depict ongoing communication with several foreign powers. As the capital of the Mukish Kingdom [xi], Alalakh served as the central political site of its local region, managing economic, social, and political matters. Interestingly, while this Kingship remains constant throughout its history, Alalakh was also a vassal state of the Hittites during the development of the Hittites Empire’s constitution [xii], an example of one of the earliest constitutional monarchies.

Alalakh’s roughly 1000-year-long history was shaped by periods of change and disruption. Alalakh’s role as an international point of trade is a major theme, as well as its role as a political node for different empires. The many sieges and fires it experienced as groups attempted to ransack Alalakh shaped the lives of its citizens and also the architecture [xiii] of the city itself. Buildings and walls were built, torn down, repurposed, and eventually abandoned. Through similar material evidence and texts, we know that Alalakh was a culturally and spiritually rich society, with practices [xiv] towards gods such as Ishtar being found.

The Alalakh civilization saw many accomplishments in the production of luxury materials, developing and producing goods for the elites of their society, and trading these with foreign travelers. In terms of the city itself, one of its most impressive achievements was the building [xv] (and rebuilding [xvi]) of the central palaces along with the archival documents they contained. The palaces themselves were impressive structures for their time and were some of the largest found in the region. Following many destructions of this city, rulers took care of these documents, many of which were multilingual and showed a deep connection with several foreign empires.

Alalakh was a production site for certain luxury goods and a major gateway [xvii] for trade during its time with places including Anatolia, Syria, and the Levant. Located in the fertile Amuq Valley, many crops were harvested in the Mukish Kingdom and traded through Alalakh. Given the city state’s political power and presence of an elite class – as well as being a key trade spot for other kingdoms and empires – many luxury goods were produced and traded, using materials like ivory, glass, faience, bronze, silver, and gold. Some researchers believe that Alalakh was in a central location of the ivory trade network.