The Neo-Hittite civilisation, also known as Syro-Hittite, existed during the Iron Age in northern Syria and Southern Anatolia. The Hittite Empire collapsed around 1180 BC: it was followed by the decline of the Eastern Mediterranean trade networks, and the fall of the major late Bronze Age cities in the Levant, Anatolia, and the Aegean. Terracotta was a favoured material for idols in the Near East. These types of figurines usually have columnar and flat bodies with heads and torsos decorated with appliques and incisions. Some of them might have represented gods, particularly female deities that ensured fertility. However, it is more likely that they represented worshipers. Due to the protruding nose, figurines such as this are characterised as having bird-like faces. They are usually of modest dimensions, and found in graves or under the floors of the houses.
To discover more about the Syro-Hittites, please visit our relevant post: Civilisations of the Ancient Near East.
