A new evaluation of KURFDHulana-/KURFDSlG cWool River Land3 according to the Hittite Texts

Abstract

There are only a few proposals concerning the ocalization of KURiD/fd, "Hulana River Land" which is mentionedrarely in Hittitetexts, although it plays a key role in strategicalregard. The essencial difficulty as to its exact localization is due to it scon- tradictoryoccurence in connection with two different geographic regions which are too far away fromeach other, namely Pala-Tumana and Kaska territory in the North on theonchand, and the position of the mountain Huwatnuwanta in theLower Lands, in which the sources of the Hulana River originates, on theother. The geographiclay of the river and a city of the same name, situating in its valley or bank, stands in close relationship with the Huwatnuwanta mountain. This mountain is closely linked with Hit- titeStormGodand is regarded as a holy mountain. Thepurpose of this study is to determinethel ocalization of both Huwatnuwanta Mountain and Hulana River Land which is important in terms of historical geography of Central Anatolia. Some new comment swill be made by studying the etymology of a few to ponymswhichare mentioned in this connection. In addition Hittitetextthepassageswhich mention the River Land will be analysed again and by taking into account the proposals which were made previously, some new proposals will be added here.