Alışar Höyük is shaped as a travel destination above all by archaeological finds from several periods. Seals and tablets point to the Bronze Age, while the Alişar IV pottery group provides insights into the Iron Age. To understand its cultural history, it is worth considering pre-Hittite stratigraphic sequences, evidence of Anitta’s political power, and signs of a Hittite presence as references to distinct periods.

Bronze Age: Evidence of power and presence

The biconvex Hittite seals found at Alişar Höyük date to Late Bronze Age II. They are considered one indication of a Hittite presence there in the 13th century BCE. Biconvex describes the shape of the seals: both sides are curved. Thus, both Late Bronze Age II and the 13th century BCE are part of the dating of this find.

Tablets bearing the name Anitta come from Middle Bronze Age layer 10cT. They indicate that the early Hittite ruler already wielded a certain degree of political power before Hittite rule. By comparison, the seals relate to the later Late Bronze Age II. The two groups of finds therefore address different questions: the tablets offer evidence of Anitta’s political standing before Hittite rule, while the seals are considered an indication of a Hittite presence in the 13th century BCE.

Pre-Hittite sequences and Iron Age pottery

At Alişar Höyük, three basic stratigraphic sequences from the pre-Hittite period can be identified. A stratigraphic sequence arranges layers chronologically; here, the three basic sequences relate to the pre-Hittite period. This is a different approach to the past from examining individual named objects: stratigraphic classification focuses on the sequence of layers, while seals and tablets each represent a specific group of finds.

The Alişar IV pottery group is among the most important categories of finds from the Alişar excavations that provide insights into the Iron Age. This Iron Age connection thus adds another historical period to the evidence relating to the Bronze Age. For travelers interested in archaeology, this creates a chronological arc from pre-Hittite sequences through the Middle and Late Bronze Ages to finds associated with the Iron Age. The stratigraphic sequences, tablets, seals, and pottery each represent different ways of understanding the past.

Location and regional orientation

Alişar Höyük lies 2.5 kilometers north of the village of Alişar. The village is the reference point for this distance; the Höyük refers to the archaeological site. This distinction helps you tell the two place names apart when finding your way around.

In the wider travel region, Kerkenes lies on the tourist route between Hattuşaş and Cappadocia. The archaeological site is 13 kilometers from the center of Sorgun and 50 kilometers from Yozgat. These distances are measured from the centers of those places; the route description situates Kerkenes between Hattuşaş and Cappadocia.

Discover more destinations: Fakıbeyli, Yozgat, Boğazlıyan, Özükavak, Sorgun, Sarıkaya, Güllük

Go to the main travel overview: Yozgat.