In the Footsteps of the Hittites. Movement, Topography, and the AN.DAḪ.ŠUM Festival

The paper discusses some of the methodological issues regarding the reconstruction of the Hittite religious festivals with a special focus on the AN.DAḪ.ŠUM festival. At the heart of the analysis lies the perspective paying particular attention to the movement and travel during celebrations and to how this aspect is reflected in the various types of the available sources. In this connection, the nature of and the relation between the outline (overview) tablets and the detailed tablets describing the Hittite festivals are discussed. Against these methodological remarks, three case studies are presented, all concerning sources referring to different moments in the course of the AN.DAḪ.ŠUM festival. In each of these cases, based on how movement is communicated, it is argued that the relevant sources represent a different place within the festival than previously thought.