Previous Research
Historical Topography of Cilicia and the Identification of Sirkeli Höyük = Lawazantiya
While the localization and identification of the two important Cilician cities of Adaniya (modern Adana) and Tarsa (modern Tarsus) is secure, the localization of the two important cultic cities of Kummanni and Lawazantiya is not.
Because of the similarity of names it is generally believed that the Hittite toponym Kummanni is to be equated with the classical toponym Comana Cataoniae and the city thus to be localized at modern Şar. However, as toponyms may change and move in the course of time (there is a second Comana in the Pontic Region), the equation of Kummanni with Comana Cataoniae is not really securely proven.
Iron Age Settlements in Cilicia.
M.-C. Trémouille, based on the evidence of Hittite documents of the New Hittite Kingdom, argues for a southern localization of Kummanni in the eastern part of the region of Flat Cilicia. She tries to locate the city of Kummanni at Boz Höyük and Lawanzantiya near Bodrum Kalesi (classical Castabala Hierapolis) at the western slope of the Amanus Mountains.
This approach is supported by the Annals of the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III: in the year 839 BC Shalmaneser III led a first campaign to Que. After crossing the Amanus Mountains coming from Unqi/Pattina, he conquered the cities of Lusanda, Abarnani and Kisuani and finally received tribute from the King Katê at Pahri. This first campaign only affected the eastern part of Que, the royal cities of Adana and Tarsus were not (yet) attacked (see History of Cilicia, map).
The mentioned cities Kisuatni and Lusanda are most probably identical with the Hittite cities of Kummanni (which even in the New Hittite Kingdom often was called the ›city of Kizzuwatna‹) and Lawazantiya.
La(hu)wazantiya (the cultic city of the goddess of love Šawuška) is mentioned in Old-Assyrian documents as Luhuzantiya. In Hittite texts the city is known as Lawazantiya (also: Lahuwazantiya, Lauwanzantiya or Lahuzzandiya), in Ugarit as Lwsnd and in Assyrian Annals as Lusanda.
The Location of Kızıldere at the Foot of the
Misis Mountains.
Olivier Casabonne recently proposed to identify Lawazantiya with Sirkeli Höyük. Starting point and basis for this proposal is the inscription found at Kızıldere (dating to the 5th or 6th century AC, at the slopes of the Misis Moutains 5 km east of Misis and 4 km southwest of Sirkeli Höyük) which marks the border between Kirkoteis in the west and Lôandos in the east. The latter may be identical with Lawazantiya = Lusanda.
Greek Inscription at Kızıldere (left) and Proposed Location of the Two Regions (right).
Next page: Archaeological Research in Cilicia.