Die Kaškäer: eine archäologische Spurensuche

Abstract

As a population from the northern regions of Anatolia, the Kaška first appear in the historical tradition of the Hittites from the Late Bronze Age. From the 15th to the 13th centuries B.C., they shape contemporary historiography as antagonists of the Hittite state. However, information concerning the Kaška has only been transmitted through Hittite written sources and has not been archaeologically tangible until now. Previous efforts have tended to characterise the Kaška community as a nomadic pastoral population, that is difficult to prove archaeologically. It was also attempted to grasp the Kaška indirectly through Hittite findings. A major reason for the ghostly character of the Kaška is the insufficient state of archaeological research in the northern regions of Anatolia. However, recent research at various sites has made it possible to grasp the Kaška people archaeologically for the first time. The main aspects of the complex history of archaeological research on the Kaška are presented in an archaeological search for clues.