The pursuit of science in the Mesopotamian and Hittite civilizations was one of a similar goal. Both civilizations were the leaders in metallurgy and because of this easily conquered other empires with their impressive and extremely effective weaponry. Their inventions and innovations of metallurgy were rapidly adopted by other ancient civilizations and transformed how empires went to war.

In 4000 B.C.E. Mesopotamia created the practice bronze metallurgy; this involved the combination copper and tin. With this new technology the Mesopotamians immediately had an advantage in both warfare and agriculture. In warfare, weaponry such as swords, spears, axes, shields, and armor were upgraded from the weaker copper and stone that they used to be made of. In agriculture “bronze knives and bronze tipped plows were used instead of tools made of bone, wood, stone, or obsidian" (Bentley and Ziegler, pg. 32). Mesopotamians attempted iron metallurgy as early as the fourth millennium but their results were less than stellar. Their new tools were far too weak to be used as acceptable replacements for bronze equipment.

This is where the Hittites come in. This civilization in 1300 B.C.E. perfected the art of iron metallurgy. Innovating on what the Mesopotamians started, Hittites were able to create weapons cheaply and in much larger quantities (Bentley and Ziegler, pg. 32). What the Hittite craftsman discovered was “that by heating iron in a bed of charcoal, then hammering it into the desired shape; they could forge strong, durable implements” (Bentley and Ziegler, pg. 44). To make it easier for the Hittite craftsman, vast amounts of iron deposits could be found in the surrounding areas compared to the copper and tin deposits. The perfection of iron metallurgy fueled the reason for another Hittite innovation, the “construction of light, horse drawn chariots” (Bentley and Ziegler, pg. 43). In the 16th and 17th centuries B.C.E. the Hittites built a dominant kingdom and the Mesopotamians found this reason enough to have a close relationship with the Hittite people allowing them to exchange scientific techniques (Bentley and Ziegler, pg. 43). The Hittite innovation of light chariots was one these. This was the driving factor in their campaign to make a name for themselves in Anatolia. In contrast other armies, such as the Sumerian armies, had slow and heavy chariots that were no match for lighter and more nimble chariots on the battlefield. The Hittites improved on these heavy chariots by inventing spoked wheels which allowed for greater mobility and were much lighter.

In conclusion the Hittites were not the original inventors of iron metallurgy or chariots but they used Mesopotamian standards as launching points and shared their knowledge with the originators. Put simply, Mesopotamia was one of the leaders of the bronze age as were the Hittites one of the leaders of the iron age. Eventually empires spanning from Rome to China would use chariot warfare and expand on the idea of metallurgy to bring them success just as it did the Hittites and Mesopotamians.

Reference

Bentley, J. H., and Ziegler, H.F. (2011). Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past (5th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Company.