This tiny yet delicately crafted gold amulet less than 2 inches high depicts an enthroned Hittite goddess. A large disk-shaped halo representing the sun surrounds her deeply furrowed, mature face. She is dressed in a full, body-length gown, her only adornment a pair of large loop earrings and a simple necklace. Seated on the goddess’s lap and nestled safely between her arms is a small child, firmly posed with back upright and arms crossed. The two are regally seated on a throne decorated with four lion paws. Although many aspects of Hittite religion remain mysterious, this amulet, which dates […]