Kaskians

The Kaškäer (also Kaschkäer, Kaška, Gasga; Egyptian Gaschgesch, Gašgeš, Keschkesch, keskes ) lived at the time of the Hittite empire in northern Anatolia. Their settlement area was the ancient inner Paphlagonia, thus the present province of Çankırı and parts of Karabük between Ankara and the Black Sea. The mountains of Pontus are up to 2,400 m high here.

First secure Hittite mentions the Kaškäer date from the early 14th century BC Therefore, assumes a part of the research that they have only come to that point to North Anatolia. Other researchers believe that they are indigenous. The latter is plausible, since the attested kaškäischen names are very likely altanatolisch. The absence in texts dating before 1400 BC is sure to explain the fact that we have few sources from the Old Kingdom and the region was at that time largely under Hittite control.

The Kaškäer lived partly semi-nomadic and were fragmented into at least nine different tribes. Among other things, also why they put a constant threat on the northern border Hittite dar. contracts that were closed to the one tribe, the other tribes often ignored. However, the incursions into the kingdom of the Hittites were apparently less conquest but rather plunder. Only at the time of Suppiuliuma I (ca. 1355-1320 BC), the tribes should have come together under one king Pihhunija. After that, they seem to have been at odds again. Under Hantili II conquered it in 1450 Nerik. How Hattusili III. mentioned in his Apology, crossed the Kaškäer in his reign the top Kızılırmak and even reached Kane. Mursili II won decisive victories against the Kaškäer. They are also known as allies of the Hittites, who assisted in the Battle of Kadesh, for example, as well as Hattusili III. in his usurpation of the throne. Ramses II introduces the " Keschkesch " in a topographic name list next to Babylonia, Meshwesh and Cyprus, and reports of " Mariannu warriors from Keschkesch ". Similar compounds are of a campaign of Amenhotep II (1426-1400 BC) known where in the loot list including " a caged Mariannu from Qatna " is listed.

Although the Kaškäer in Hittite texts from the period of the empire as often as few other nations are mentioned, we know very little about them, as the Hittites limited in the description of campaigns and in the texts of treaties to the essentials.

Between the Devrez and the Kızılırmak were a number of Hittite fortresses, should the Kaškäern block access to the Hittite heartland. They were created at a uniform distance and were usually on a hill, but with access to water and good farmland. They were heavily fortified and sometimes as large as an acre. Roger Matthews assumes that the Hittites, the country opened up by roads that might hide among the Roman and Byzantine streets. To the system were also smaller towers and lookouts. An example of such is found in the vicinity of Eldivan.

Whether the Kaškäer mitverursachten the collapse of the Hittite Empire, is not clear. It is certain that they BC used the resulting vacuum after 1200 and migrated far to the southeast. From the end of the 12th century we encounter them as Gasga several times in Assyrian sources. In the annals of Tukulti - apil - Ešarra I (ca. 1114-1076 BC ) states that it does not permanently settled in the territories they had conquered. It can be deduced that they had abandoned their home on the Black Sea and not their territory stretched approximately from there to eastern Anatolia. Until the 8th century BC, they are mentioned sporadically in Assyrian texts. Apparently they had now established in eastern Anatolia and created an empire. In the annals of Sargon II the Kaškäer be mentioned for the last time. After that their trace is lost. The Paphlagonia Survey discovered some settlements with so-called " gray goods Phrygian ". There is speculation that the Pontier, which should make to create the Romans under their king Mithridates, were descendants of the Kaškäer.

Archaeologically the Kaškäer today are poorly grasped. This is due to the fact that they had apparently no major permanent settlements. On the other hand, it is difficult to assign, for example, stray finds with coarse ceramic a particular people. In addition, systematic excavations in northern Anatolia have been made up to now only a very small extent.