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.
A votive offering is an object displayed in a sacred place for religious purposes, in order to gain the favour of supernatural forces. The worshippers considered it to be a gift to the god: pottery, jewellery, weapons, statues, and animals offerings were all possible forms that a votive offering could take.
