Stele base with hieroglyphic inscription

myminifactory

The last monarch of the Old Kingdom, Telepinu, ruled until approximately 1500 BC. Telepinu's reign marked the end of the "Old Kingdom" and the beginning of a lengthy weak phase known as the "Middle Kingdom". The period spanning the 15th century BC remains largely unknown due to very sparse surviving records. A significant factor contributing to both the weakness and obscurity is that the Hittites were constantly under attack, mainly by the Kaska, a non-Indo-European people settled along the shores of the Black Sea. The capital relocated first to Sapinuwa and then to Samuha. An archive exists in Sapinuwa but remains inadequately translated to date. This period segues into the "Hittite Empire period" proper, which dates from the reign of Tudhaliya I, circa 1430 BC. Early Hittite rulers are credited with pioneering the practice of conducting treaties and alliances with neighboring states; thus, the Hittites were among the earliest known innovators in international politics and diplomacy. The Hittite religion also adopted several gods and rituals from the Hurrians during this time.