HITTITE PIG TABOO AND PIGS IN ANATOLIA

Date

2025-9

Author

Ayten, Ebru Gizem

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This study examines the potential existence of a pig taboo in Hittite society, a prominent Anatolian civilization of the Late Bronze Age, by integrating zooarchaeological data with textual sources. Although pigs were among the earliest domesticated animals in the Near East, they were later regarded as impure in many cultures, leading to the restriction or prohibition of their consumption. Hittite religious texts explicitly refer to pigs as unclean animals that should be kept away from sacred spaces such as temples. However, there is no definitive evidence suggesting a comprehensive ban on pig husbandry or pork consumption in daily life. Archaeological findings indicate the presence of pig remains in various Hittite settlements, suggesting that pig farming continued to some extent despite religious restrictions. This research aims to explore the contradiction between the religious perception of pigs and their actual use in Hittite society. To this end, zooarchaeological data from central settlements such as Ortaköy/Šapinuwa and Kayalıpınar/Samuha, along with peripheral sites like Tell Atchana/Alalakh and Kinet Höyük, were analyzed. These assemblages were studied using zooarchaeological and stable isotope methods. The results suggest both intra-site and regional variation in pig husbandry practices and feeding strategies. By comparing these findings with Hittite textual records, the study highlights the pig’s dual role as both a religiously impure and economically or ritually significant animal. Ultimately, the thesis offers a nuanced understanding of the pig’s complex status in Hittite society and contributes to broader discussions of food taboos and symbolic boundaries in ancient cultures.

Subject Keywords

Late Bronze Age, Hittites, Pig, Taboo, Zooarchaeology

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/115618

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis