Hittites: A History from Beginning to End (Mesopotamia History)

by Hourly History

The Hittite Kingdom accomplished a great deal during the middle Bronze Age and subsequent Iron Age. They made full use of Anatolia's mineral wealth and nearby territories. The silver-rich Hittites made animal figurines that date back to the 3rd millennium BCE. They were the first in history to mine, smelt and utilize iron from the region of present day Armenia in order to craft tools and weapons. Their means of refinement made iron stronger, which secured them a great advantage in warfare as a Mesopotamian civilization, cutting through the copper swords and shields of their enemies. Following their invention of tempering, iron came to widespread use and was highly prized for use in weaponry and in farm equipment. One of the tribes subject to Hittite rule, the Chalybes, were the first people to make steel in approximately 1400 BCE.