The Secret of the Hittites: The Discovery of an Ancient Empire

The Hittites, an ancient Indo-European people who appeared in Anatolia at the beginning of the second millennium BC, had become one of the dominant powers of the Middle East by 1340 BC. Early kings of the Hittite Old Kingdom had extended Hittite control over much of northern Syria eventually raiding down the Eurphrates to Babylon. The struggle with Egypt under Ramses II for control of Syria led to one of the greatest battles of the ancient world at Kadesh in 1299 BC. The fall of the Hittite Empi...