Who were the Hittites? What was their major influence on the subsequent history of Western Civilization?

The Hittites were an ancient nation of Bronze-Age Anatolia who thrived from about 1600 to 1178 BCE. Today, the land which once made up their empire, makes up parts of Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. They are mentioned in the Tanakh, or Old Testament, and archaeology has uncovered their fortified cities and temples. Their language has been deciphered from a number of clay tablets and is categorized as an Indo-European language similar to Babylonian (both used...

The Hittites were an ancient nation of Bronze-Age Anatolia who thrived from about 1600 to 1178 BCE. Today, the land which once made up their empire, makes up parts of Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. They are mentioned in the Tanakh, or Old Testament, and archaeology has uncovered their fortified cities and temples. Their language has been deciphered from a number of clay tablets and is categorized as an Indo-European language similar to Babylonian (both used cuneiform) and even Latin and Greek.

The Hittites are known for their empire and the destruction of nearby cities like Babylon. While we do not yet know of them as the founders of any new technologies or practices, we do know from archaeology that their culture was  much like that of the Akkadians and Mesopotamians. They used cuneiform script, cylinder seals, and farmed barley and wheat. Today, we remember them as exemplary of Bronze-Age Levantine culture and for their effective conquest and diplomacy throughout the Middle East. Perhaps their greatest influence on the development of Western Civilization was the innovative practice of establishing treaties with neighboring populations.