Materials The population of Hattusa is mostly limited to particular cities between which lie vast spaces of open plateau and dusty barren landscape. Villages and towns appear only around water sources and / or natural woodland or farmable land.

In general, Hittite architecture relies heavily on timber, granite, limestone and lime plaster. Ceramics and paints are used for decoration. Straw may be needed for thatch and ceramic for tile. Alabaster and marble are privileged materials for the excessively wealthy.

Cities The largest cities in the empire, such as Hattusa, Kizzuwatna and Carchemish are built almost entirely from stone, particularly at their core. Most of Hattusa's cities were built centuries ago in strategic spots for military advantage, which meant building on the high ground. As the cities have expanded, the buildings have stretched further down those hills, requiring additional architecture including bridges and slopes up and down shallow inclines for carts, and staircases for foot traffic. For hygenic purposes they have also created gutter / sewer run offs for rainwater to pass down through the city, and acqueducts for fresh water filled by local springs.

Barricaded walls and defense systems can be found around every major city in the empire. Some have formed multiple rings as the city has grown, leading to barricades within residential areas.

The only structures likely to be found outside the walls of a city are the tombs of the royals and the wealthy. These tombs, which appear like luxurious estates with multiple buildings, are unmanned. They are rarely visited, except by family members and, though they often hold jewels and luxuries, are considered sacred. It is believed that no invading forces would ever desecrate a tomb. The tomb estates, therefore, need no protection. Buildings Buildings in smaller villages and towns will normally be made from timber or, if there is a resource nearby, lime plaster. They may or may not have a foundation of stone. They will often have thatched rooftops as level timber slats are not watertight.

Structures in cities are more likely to be carved entirely from stone or plastered with lime all over, making them watertight. They, therefore, often have flat rooftops that operate as a private garden if one chooses. They may also have tiled roofs. Mosaics in ceramic tile or paint are popular ways to decorate a home.

Public bathhouses are usually plastered with lime because it's a particularly hygenic substance and can be washed with no damage to the structure.

Only the finest of palaces will use alabaster, marble, glass or precious stones in their formation or decoration.

Influences The Hattusa empire was built over the Luwian, Hurrian and Hatti cultures so their architecture and cultural styles draw heavily from these civilisations. They also have excessive Hellas, Phoenician and Assyrian influences as these are their closest neighbours. Cities closer to the east of the empire will, in particular, be more influenced by Assyrian designs, those to the south near Kizzuwatna might adopt Phoenician ideas and those near Arzawa are more likely to mimic Hellenes style.

Literacy

Legal Written	Hittite
Informal Written	Hittite, Akkadian
International Written	Akkadian
Primary Spoken	Hittite, Akkadian
Secondary Spoken	Hurrian, Hatti, Luwian

Literacy is an uncommon skill in Hattusa. Only the upper classes are ever taught to read and write. Lower class merchants will have limited skill with particular figures and symbols. For example, most ceramic jars containing oil or grain will be sealed with a tag marking its contents. Lower class citizens will be able to understand these marks on a practical level. But they will not be able to read and write language with any sophistication. Instead, all communication for the lower classes is by word of mouth.

Those who are of higher classes and are literate are likely to be able to read and write in both Hittite and Akkadian as well as several other languages from lands beyond the empire. They may also be able to write in codes and complex dialects in order to conceal private messages.

Despite a general lack of literacy outside the aristocracy, most Hittites are at least bilingual. They will be able to chatter away in Hittite and (depending on where they live) Luwian, Hurrian or Hatti. They may also known some Assyrian or even Akkadian. In Hattusa, these different languages and dialects tend to blur together so that language divides are almost unrecognisable. In addition to this, those who live in port cities might also have some verbal skill in Greek, Hebrew or Latin just through exposure in trade. Many languages are location-specific. For example, those in the western area of the empire (particularly Arzawa) are more likely to understand Luwian. Those in the far east will have no concept of the language at all. In short, whilst most Hittites are illiterate when it comes to the written word, their verbal skills are unmatched by most other lands.

Missives and Letters Paper
Paper, papyrus and parchment are rarities in Hattusa. Not only are the necessary wood and reeds in rare supply in the empire, the heat and humidity of the land create an inhospitable environment for storing paper. On the rare occasions that paper and scrolls are used, it is usually in formal proceedings with other nations who traditionally use these materials. Never within their own communications.
Clay Tablets
Instead of paper, clay tablets are used for formal decrees and letter-writing. A small tablet is marked using a stelae and then baked, sealing the message solid. A second layer of clay is then wrapped around the message, the recipient's name or titular information marked on the outside. It is then baked again. The heat of the kiln dries the second layer of clay away from the inner core so that it doesn't damage the message kept inside. Upon receipt of the message, the outer casing is broken with a small hammer and the letter inside is revealed.

Whilst this is a time-consuming process compared to writing on paper, clay messages last longer in the Hittite climate and cannot be forged or altered after the fact. One can be sure that their letter is received without interference if the outer case is still intact. Clay also has the benefit of being reusable if not already baked; able to be squashed and reflattened so that the writer can begin again if they make a mistake.

Most literates are members of the upper class which means they will have some form of crest ring to seal letters, missives and decrees. Only with the stamp of these rings can a document be considered legal / authentic. For larger, more formal decrees such as peace treaties, the Tabarna has a cylindrical seal that is rolled over the clay to mark his full signature (a rectangle of markings, several inches in length). For everyday arrangements, his ring is used.
Messengers
Most letters and missives are carried by messengers on horseback or chariot. These messengers are normally illiterate (and hired specifically for this reason) so that they cannot read or alter the messages they carry.
Carrier Pigeons
The rare times that paper might be used for missives is for urgent instruction carried by pigeon or crow. But even these are more commonly written on small squares of clay using a prearranged short-hand. These kinds of messages are usually sent between major cities and may then be carried further by human hand. As these kinds of messages are usually urgent or of great importance, being pigeon fancier to a major city is an incredibly significant role and comes with great benefits and prestige.
Smoke / Flag Signals and Horns
Another way in which communication is made long distance is via smoke or flag signals. This is more common in military matters rather than political as they cannot convey complex messages. Instead, flags and smoke (specifically the colour of the smoke) are used for instructions such as 'attack', 'retreat' and 'hold'. All military commanders are educated in these signals prior to being appointed and then communicate their meaning to their men through battle horns. Referential Terms The people of Hattusa refer to themselves collectively as the Hittites and their land as the Empire of Hattusa, or Hattusa (named after their capital city), or as the Hittite Empire. Due to the diversity of its people, citizens of Hattusa may also regard themselves as other terms/identities alongside being a Hittite. Below are the terms Hittites use for other lands and their peoples.

	Land	People
Assyria	Syria	Syrians
Babylonia	Babylon	Babylonians
Bedoa'mt	Nubia	Nubians
Hellas	Hellas	Hellenes
K'm't	Egypt	Egyptians
Ostjord	The Far West	Goths / Marauders
Phoenicia	Phoenicia	Phoenicians
Roma	Roma	Romas

Morphology The Hittie language focuses on long vowels and certain, popular consonants, namely 'k', 'p', 'h', 'z' and 'w'. Most sounds and words occupy the front of the mouth whilst the drawing back of the lips is necessary to wrap around longer vowel combinations, such as 'iya'.

In translation, 'd' and 'g' can occasionally be synonymous, as can 'r' and 'l'. When writing, 'k' and 'c' are often interchangeable. Grammatically, the language uses the sound 'z' regularly, though less so in names and nouns.


Common Names Upper Class NamesThe Hittites generally connect length of name with rank / class of person. If you are a high ranking individual - particularly royalty or nobility - you may have a name / reginal name with multiple syllables.

Alaksandu Amminaya Ašmunikal Danuhepa Enheduanna Gassulawiya Hammurabi

Harapšeki Ḫarapšili Ištapariya Katešḫapi Kilušḫepa Massanauzzi Mittanamwha

Muwatalli Nikkalmati Puduḫepa Satanduhepa Šauška Walanni Zannanza

The above sorts of names above are the most available to us when researching the Hittites as royalty and persons of import were more usually recorded in archaeological texts. More common names can be taken from elements / syllables of these names. Lower class names generally consist of just two (sometimes three) syllables. Phonemes like 'tud', 'py', 'hep', 'sili', 'iya' and 'anna' are popular.
Female NamesFeminine names generally end in the vowel sounds 'i' or 'a' and popular, feminine-sounding names often begin with soft consonants such as 'h', 'n', or 's'. Examples might include:

Apli Bani Eriba Esharra Guzel Helleni Henti

Hinti Mithra Nakia Narses Ninata Ninurta Nirari

Semi Selto Senna Shamma Shathra Shelto Ure

Male NamesMasculine names are more varied in morphology. It is rare for a feminine name to end in 'sh' or a hard consonant such as 'n' or plosive consonants such as 't'. This is not true for male names. Examples might include:

Apil Ashur Aygil Hanno Hasdru Hiram Hurash Juda Kash

Kikkuli Kurush Mittan Naram Narseh Ninos Pinu Rami Rosha

Rusafa Sharma Tahmas Tashul Telip Teoma Tukulti Urhi Usur

Naming Structure Lower Class NamesThe Hittites go by first names without familial or surnames attached. Instead, their first name is connected to their city of origin. There is no indication of family or genealogy. This being said, some families will reuse first names from previous generations, if an ancestor held power, reputation or was considered wise or brave. This is neither common nor unorthodox. Male RoyaltyFor males of the royal line, there are different naming traditions. As they are 'of' the entire nation, not a single city, they are given a double-barrelled first name without a surname at all (ergo, no 'of' name suffix). A double-barrelled first name means two 'names' or 'parts' make up their first name. The first part of their first name is for personal use and is usually unique to them, without genealogical history or connection. It does not appear in history books or legal documents and is only for informal, personal relations during their lifetime. It will fade away unknown to history, after their death. The second part of their first name is their formal, reginal name. This is the one used in formal paperwork etc. Their father's reginal name (the second part of his double-barrelled name) then becomes, effectively, the male's surname. Female RoyaltyLike their male counterparts, female royals have no 'of' in their name. They are not named after the place of their birth. The have a personal first-name, no reginal name of their own because they are female and then have the reginal name of their father as a last name, just as their male counterparts use. Upon marriage, their father's reginal name is replaced with the reginal name of their husband. If they marry outside of royalty, they retain their father’s reginal name. If their father / family disown them for marrying outside their station, they are no longer classified as royal and adopt normal civilian style of names, specifically the origin name of their husband, e.g. 'of Alinna'.
Concubines of royalty do not count as married to their partners. They retain whatever name they possessed prior to entering the seraglio.

Calendar The Hittite word for year is witant and the word for month is pazizi. When dating roleplaying threads, the spoken term for each month below is used, e.g. Eanna, 972 BC.

	Spoken	Legal Written	Season
January	Anna	A-anna-pazi	Season of the Earth
February	Eanna	E-anna-pazi	Season of the Earth
March	Hamesha	Hame-hantezzi-pazi	The Rainy Season
April	Meuan	Meu-anna-pazi	The Rainy Season
May	Ameu	A-meu-anna-pazi	The Rainy Season
June	Eusank	E-us-anki-pazi	The Dry Season
July	Eusankdan	E-us-anki-dan-pazi	The Dry Season
August	Emeuank	E-meu-anki-pazi	The Dry Season
September	Zenaha	Zena-hantezzi-pazi	Season of the Wind
October	Annanu	A-nu-anna-pazi	Season of the Wind
November	Tepanna	Tep-a-anna-pazi	Season of the Wind
December	Gimanha	Giman-hantezzi-pazi	Season of the Earth

Additional Lexicon

Land Travel Civilian transport in Hattusa is exclusively by foot or animal-riding. This could be a horse (for the wealthy), a donkey or mule (for the poor) or camels (for the nomadic travellers of the more deserted plains).

Chariots are never ridden for general travel. They are considered a tool of the military. Their occasional use for sending urgent messages is the only exception to this rule. Otherwise, chariots are used only on the battlefield.

Whilst carts are used to carry goods and cargo, carriages for people are not used in Hattusa. If a traveller can afford an animal to ride they might also be able to afford four servants to carry a poled sheet over their head to keep them from the sun. Or, if they are excessively wealthy, a carried palanquin. Otherwise, regular stops are necessary - particularly during midday - for travellers to pause and sit beneath a shade covering. Seafaring Hattusa is a large, mainland empire. Whilst it has coastal regions with the Black Sea and the Aegean, a very small percentage of its population actually lives near the sea.

Those who travel by sea will do so usually by an oarred ship. Larger ships will also utilise one large sail. Vessels can be small, suitable for just a few people, or large enough to hold nearly twenty.

Travel by sea is rocky and often uncomfortable with limited storage space. Most merchants, therefore, prefer to travel by land as much as possible, despite hot and arid conditions or the journey taking longer.

Fabrics and Weaving Due to a seasonal climate, clothing in Hattusa needs to be both practical and durable. Most of their clothing is linen-based and woven on upright or slanted, weighted looms. The technology is rudimentary but serves its purpose well, creating sturdy and dependable wear.

For the upper classes, who enjoy linens, wools and silk, such materials are often imported from Roma (for the linens and wool) and Babylonia (for silk). They might also purchase more elaborate, patterned fabrics from Phoenicia. Metalwork Weaponry
Most Hittites, both male and female, will carry around a short dagger at their hips. This is partially for self-protection but is not considered to be threatening. Instead the use of the small blade is universal. For cutting rope at the docks, hunting in the woods, slicing an apple one has picked for their lunch. The short blade is treated more like having a pen in your back pocket than it is a weapon.

Those who hunt for their food may also carry a quiver and bow wherever they go. These are generally light weight and easier to have on one's person at all times than to be fetched from one's home.

Jewellery
When it comes to bronze, silver and gold, smelting and moulding are well-known skills. They are applied heartily in Hattusa, where bronze and gold are decorative rather than valuable. They are not used for currency but, instead, jewellery and decorative detailing on the hilts of weapons or sandal straps etc.

Raw silver is never worked into wearable materials. It is a currency only which means that all raw silver ore is, by law, owned by the crown. This ore is taken to private storehouses where it is eventually smelted and pressed into shekels, rings and bars.

Iron Working
Hattusa's true claim to fame in the realm of metalwork, however, is that of iron. Very few lands know how to work meteorite iron into weaponry and even those who have a rudimentary theory of the craft cannot hold a candle to the expertise of the Hittites.

As iron requires a much higher melting point than other metals, most smithys struggle to work it into a pliable material. This is doubly true for iron ore, which must be smelted away from the rock at even higher temperatures. Hattusa, however, is a land of plateaus and valleys which channel blowing gales that they have used for wind power to burn their working fires hotter: hot enough to melt iron. This makes the Windy Season a period of the year in which iron is at the forefont of imperial interests. There are also particular mallets and materials for tools that work best when shaping the iron into weaponry

The Hattusa empire hoardes its iron-making secrets more closely than its political schemes and will never share such knowledge. It has been the key to their quick advancement across Anatolia, for soldiers wielding iron blades against an army of bronze have a distinct advantage. By keeping the secrets of ironwork to themselves, the Hittites ensure their future as the superpower of the Orient.

Clay and Ceramics The Hittites do not use metal or wood as containers. Metal heats in the summer, and cools too drastically in the winter, threatening the contents stored within. And timber is in too short supply to use for boxes and crates: better to be used for housing and carts. Instead, pots and ceramics are the primary way in which goods like grain, wine, water or any other substance is transported.

The working of ceramics and clay in Hattusa are split into two distinctive styles. First is the wrapping technique, in which long ropes of moulded clay are coiled around a flat based, over and over, then smoothed into shape. This method has been around for centuries and is now heralded as a traditional craft.

'Newer' potters and claysmiths work with a rudimentary potters wheel: a dish that that is manually spun whilst the wet clay upon it is worked into shape. This method allows the potter to pull the pot walls thinner, creating a lighter-weight vase or dish. However, potter wheels are expensive and so is the supply of constant water necessary to keep the clay damp. There is also a higher rate of breaking after heating the pots in a kiln, if the shape has been pulled too thin. This newer method allows for more pots to be made quickly but is definitely more expensive, which makes it the preferred option for luxury artisans and merchants.

Once a pot is formed, it is often decorated. This can be done with paint or, if the clay is thick enough, carvings marked into the surface before it's baked.

Most vases, amphoras and jugs, when in use, are sealed with a clay topper or lid, the edges of which are fixed in place with wax. This wax is usually heartily applied so that it can be reheated and resealed at a later date. Around the neck of the vase is often a small wooden tag with markings to denote its contents. Or, if there is space, the markings are applied to the wax itself.

Other domestic goods are also made of ceramic or clay. This includes dishes on which food is served, decorative household items, bed pans, waste recepticles and flower pots. Leatherwork As Hattusa has limited livestock of cows, leather is an incredibly expensive luxury. Only found in the western coast of the empire, around Arzawa, leather goods must be transported throughout the empire (a high expense) and cultivated at a rate that will not decimate the bovine population (making it rare). Most of Hattusa's leather demands, therefore, are met by other lands such as Roma, Hellas and Ostjord. Importing, of course, also makes the goods expensive.

Most Hittites will wear rope sandals over leather and fabric belts. Quivers and sheaths were usually made from woven reed or deliberately roughly-hewn fabric to keep the arrows from poking through. For the upper classes, who can afford the leather, all of these personal items may be leather-crafted and can be decorated with scroll work in gold or bronze. Farming A large percentage of the Hittite population is self-sufficient, keeping small gardens for root vegetables, a goat for milk and a few hens for eggs. Larger gardens, or farming areas, however, are also common - particularly in areas that are distinctly arable (arable land being uncommon in the empire and made the most of when found).

As farming is not a huge industry in Hattusa, the technology behind it has not greatly advanced. Farmers work with hand or animal-driven ploughs. As there are few cows in Anatolia, these ploughs are normally driven by goats or, for harder terrain / larger ploughs, horses, while bearing in mind that horses are expensive to keep. Harvesting the crop is often done by hand, with woven reed baskets on a farmers back as he / she pulls and deposits each plant over their shoulder.

When farming grain or wheat, the crop can be ground there, in the field, then transported in sacks or clay vases. Grinding the product in the field on a blanket is usually done by hand with a grinding stone. Alternatively, the crop might be sold on to someone who is specifically a miller. They would have larger equipment, including a spinning stone. This is a large, oval stone with a handle inserted upright in one side and a hole in the middle. The handle is then pushed around and around, the grain inserted into the central hole. Ground product falls out the sides. This milled grain or wheat is then likely to be sold on to professional bakers or families who bake their own bread. Specialist Industries Pressing
There are several specialist occupations in Hattusa with scientific techniques and equipment. However, the two most common ones are oil pressing and baking. Hattusa has a large production of nuts, beans, grapes and olives. The oils, honey, wine and hummus produced from such crop are highly sought as exports and a huge staple of the Hittite way of life.

For wine, grapes are often pressed in a large ceramic or wooden barrel, into which a presser will stand, squashing the grapes with their feet. The pressed wine is then decanted into a vase and stored for fermentation. The same process is carried out for fruit juices and olive oil.

For larger presses, like beans or legumes, grinding stones similar to milling are used. Those who are especially wealthy in the trade might have a mechanical press, where a handle is pulled, the weight of the presser poised over the shaft, and forcing two flat stones together. This mashes the beans and legumes in between into a paste or hummus.

A large industry in Hattusa is specialty pastes, oils, and honeys, so many artisans will take the pressed juices or pastes and work them with additional incredients like herbs, flowers or sweet-smelling sap. These are heated together over a fire, stirred and potted up for sale as edible snacks or beauty treatments.
Baking
When it comes to baking, a kiln or oven is necessary. This means that a lot of bread is purchased from professional bakers who have been able to afford the construction of a full kiln in their homes. In smaller homes, however, flatbreads can be cooked on hot stone plates over an open flame and those with large fireplaces can use a ceramic box, inserted beneath the fire, as a tray into which dough can be placed. Like a miniature kiln, the box cooks the bread well, it's just not a suitable option for mass production.

Medical Practice The Hattusa empire is a progressive one. They see medical care and practice as simply another occupation, regardless of faith or scientific advancement. Poultices, tonics and physical treatments (such as splints for broken legs) are all common practice. There are many who dedicate their lives to such a career and they are known as either healers or physicians.

The term 'physician' is generally applied to an individual who has studied medicine in an academic or tutorship sphere. This will normally mean travelling to K'm't or Phoenicia where medical knowledge is at its foremost. As this involves money and flexibility to travel it is rare to find a female physician.

Those who have learned to care for others by experiencial trial and error, or from local experts are usually referred to as 'healers', not 'physicians'. As this is a skill that can be learned in a domestic setting, it is quite common for women to learn the art of healing around childcare or other domestic duties, but men can learn also. Whilst the wealthy will send their sick to a physician, the poorer circles will use healers. Surgery Hittite healers are not squeamish about the inside of bodies. If a patient comes to them with lacerations or damage to their body, poking around internally is not considered an issue nor against a faith or social decorum. It's simply a necessary medical procedure.

However, because the Hittite's bury their dead whole, leaving their bodies in ceremonial tombs, it is not considered acceptable to cut open a cadaver. Hittites have no issue with other cultures performing this practice and are happy to learn from physicians in other lands but because it is considered a dishonourable practice within Hattusa, the Hittite medical community is fairly ignorant when it comes to the more detailed inner workings of the human body because they can only learn from the living.

Physicians who have studied beyond the empire are more likely to understand the internal make-up of a patient. This can then inform how they treat said patient. But few patients would ever consent to being cut open for the express purpose of treatment. If they already have a wound, fine. But, to a Hittite, cutting open the body further is the antithesis of healing and many physicians will be limited in what they can convince a patient to subject themselves to. Homeopathy Different healers / physicians will have learned to use different natural remedies. Use the link below to explore different ingredients and how they might be utilised as medicine. Those who have learned medicine in local areas are unlikely to understand herbs and flora from other areas. Please note that those who have studied further afield may have a wider theoretical (sometimes practical) knowledge. Use the 'Origin' section in the spreadsheet linked below to inform your writing.

Contraception and Abortives
Whilst other lands use pig skins and other ancient forms of prophylactic, such practices are considered abhorrent to Hittites. The only common form of contraception in Hattusa is the act of coitus reservatus. This is the practice of sexual intercourse in which a man controls his release and only ejaculates outside his female partner.

Women in Hattusa are also highly aware of the science behind their menstrual cycle and can arrange which days to have intercourse in order to avoid (or encourage) pregnancy.

The only other form of contraception is abortive tonics, created by apothecaries. But these are highly discouraged in Hittite society. Children and pregnancy are sacred in Hattusa and, though accepted in certain circumstances as necessary, abortive measures are generally considered an insult against Arma, the Child God of the Moon.

Medicine vs. Religion In Hattusa, there is little controversy between medicine and religion. The biggest obstacle is that of corpses and how it is inappropriate to cut them open for study. Without this exercise, Hittite physicians have limited knowledge of internal medicine. But this reticence is not for fear of angering the Gods. Instead, it is seen as disrespectful of the dead, who should be either cremated or entombed as a mark of dignity.