The Hittites: The Ancient Superpower History Forgot

If history were a popularity contest, the Hittites would be that underground band you’ve never heard of but that actually influenced half the music you listen to. They had an empire, went to war with Egypt, dabbled in ironworking before it was trendy, and even gave the world its first known peace treaty. And yet, they somehow slipped through the cracks of mainstream history, overshadowed by the usual suspects—the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans. But make no mistake, the Hittites were big players in their day, shaping the world in ways that many historians are still piecing together.

The Chariot Kings Who Almost Took Egypt

The Hittites knew their way around a battlefield, and nothing proved that better than their chariots. While other ancient warriors were still figuring out the best way to attach wheels to things, the Hittites were perfecting their three-man chariot crew: one to drive, one to fight, and one to hold a shield and make sure the first two didn’t get immediately obliterated. This made them an absolute nightmare to fight, and at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE, they almost handed Ramses II of Egypt one of history’s most humiliating defeats. Ramses, never one to let the truth get in the way of a good PR campaign, later claimed victory, but historians suspect it was more of a stalemate, or even a quiet Hittite win.

What made these chariots so effective? Unlike the Egyptians, who opted for lighter two-man chariots built for speed, the Hittites designed theirs for durability and sustained combat. The additional warrior meant better defence and a higher chance of survival in prolonged engagements. Their armies weren’t just chariot-heavy either—they had well-trained infantry to back up their mounted units, making them one of the most well-balanced military forces of the Late Bronze Age.

The Battle of Kadesh itself was a masterclass in ancient warfare. The Hittites launched a surprise attack, forcing Ramses II into a defensive position. Egyptian accounts make it seem like Ramses single-handedly turned the tide of battle with divine intervention (and an aggressive publicity team back home), but the reality is that neither side emerged as a decisive winner. What did happen, however, was a shift in military respect between the two powers, leading to an unprecedented diplomatic agreement.

The First Known Peace Treaty (Because Constant War Is Exhausting)

The Hittites and Egyptians fought, postured, and flexed their military muscles, but in the end, even they had to admit that endless war was a bit much. Instead of continuing to batter each other into oblivion, they sat down and hammered out the Treaty of Kadesh—the first recorded peace treaty in history. Ramses got a copy in hieroglyphs, and the Hittites wrote theirs in cuneiform. It was basically an ancient “let’s agree to disagree” document, with promises of eternal friendship and military backup if anyone else came knocking. Today, a copy of it hangs in the United Nations headquarters, a reminder that even ancient empires knew diplomacy was sometimes the best option.

This treaty wasn’t just words on a clay tablet; it had real political consequences. It stabilised relations between two of the most powerful empires of the time, allowing trade and cultural exchange to flourish between them. For a while, at least, war took a backseat to diplomacy.

Beyond Kadesh, the Hittites were skilled diplomats in general. Their archives reveal extensive correspondence with other great rulers of the time, including the kings of Assyria, Babylon, and even the Mycenaeans. They negotiated marriages, trade agreements, and non-aggression pacts, showcasing a level of international diplomacy that was rare for the period.

The Iron Age Hipsters Who Kicked Off a Revolution

Long before iron was the metal of choice for weapons and tools, the Hittites were quietly experimenting with it. While their neighbours were still swinging bronze swords, they were figuring out how to smelt iron, giving them an early technological edge. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite manage to mass-produce it before their empire collapsed, but their knowledge trickled down to others and helped kickstart the Iron Age. Classic Hittites—always ahead of their time.

Why was iron such a big deal? Compared to bronze, it was stronger, more readily available, and, once the smelting process was refined, significantly cheaper to produce. The Hittites may not have fully industrialised iron production, but they were pioneers, laying the groundwork for future civilisations to build upon.

Some scholars even argue that the Hittites’ monopoly on iron may have made them a target for rival powers. If they were the ones holding onto the key to the next technological revolution, you can bet other rising states wanted in on the action. The eventual collapse of the Hittite Empire scattered their metallurgical knowledge across the region, ensuring iron would soon replace bronze as the dominant material for tools and weapons.

Hattusa: Bureaucracy, Big Walls, and Even Bigger Archives

Their capital, Hattusa, was an impressive place—massive fortifications, grand temples, royal archives full of thousands of clay tablets. These guys had administration down to an art. Their legal system was even somewhat progressive, at least compared to some of their neighbours. Unlike the Babylonians, who thought chopping off body parts was an acceptable form of punishment for petty crimes, the Hittites were a bit more lenient. If you stole something, you might just have to pay back double instead of losing a hand. Adultery? If your spouse was cool with it, the state didn’t care. Surprisingly modern thinking for an ancient empire.

Hattusa was also an architectural marvel, featuring enormous walls, underground tunnels, and monumental gateways adorned with lion and sphinx carvings. It served as the centre of Hittite power, housing the Great Temple and the king’s palace, where crucial decisions affecting the empire were made. The clay tablet archives, painstakingly preserved, provide modern historians with a wealth of information about Hittite diplomacy, economy, and daily life.

The Great Vanishing Act: What Happened to the Hittites?

Like so many great powers, the Hittite Empire eventually crumbled. Internal conflicts, economic struggles, and a whole lot of invasions did them in. By the time the history books moved on to the Assyrians and Persians, the Hittites were little more than a footnote. Their once-mighty empire dissolved into a few scattered city-states, and even those eventually faded into obscurity.

What caused their downfall? Theories abound, but one major factor was the mysterious “Sea Peoples”—a confederation of marauding groups who wreaked havoc across the Mediterranean and Near East around 1200 BCE. The Hittites, already weakened by internal strife and economic downturns, were no match for this onslaught. Coupled with climate change, famine, and declining resources, their empire collapsed into dust.

For centuries, no one even remembered they existed. It wasn’t until archaeologists in the 19th century stumbled upon their records that the world realised an entire empire had been wiped from history’s collective memory. Talk about getting ghosted by time.

Why the Hittites Deserve More Hype

So next time you think about ancient civilisations, spare a thought for the Hittites. They may not have built pyramids or left behind poetic epics, but they were chariot-riding, iron-smelting, treaty-signing innovators who deserve way more credit than they get. They weren’t just another forgotten empire; they were a critical link in the chain of history, bridging the gap between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. And let’s be honest—any civilisation that figured out diplomacy before most others were still settling disputes by clubbing each other over the head deserves some serious respect.