Crime and justice in the Hittites in the light of philological data and the rock art

Covering a vast area in terms of time and space and hosting many civilizations, the Anatolian geography was a geography where both the hunter-gatherer lifestyle continued and the transition to agriculture took place. Therefore, in this geography where social and cultural development took place, in order for people to live in harmony with each other, they had to comply with certain principles and rules such as moral and religious rules, customs and traditions, and legal norms. The emergence of ancient Anatolian texts caused the belief that the concepts of crime and justice began with Rome to change, and shows that mankind had written laws and a well-functioning judicial system to ensure justice within society in earlier periods. Archaeological data on crime and justice in Anatolia in the 2nd millennium BC have come to light with the findings obtained from excavations belonging to various civilizations. This data helps us understand the understanding of justice, legal practices and crime concepts of ancient societies. In particular, the law councils in the tablets belonging to civilizations and how they were applied, the society and stories allow us to understand the legal systems, social norms and beliefs of historical societies. These findings provide an opportunity to deeply examine the search for justice and perspectives of ancient societies on crime concepts.