Kaska (ancient tribal people)
The Kaska were an ancient tribal group that inhabited northern Anatolia, in present-day Turkey. They are noted for their distinctive physical features, including blond hair and blue eyes, as reflected in the term "Kirrukaska." Believed to be a subgroup of the Sherdana, the Kaska may have migrated from North Africa, traveling across the seas to settle in various regions, including the Black Sea area and northern Anatolia. Known for their fierce resistance to conquest, the Kaska effectively employed guerrilla warfare, making them difficult for the Hittite Empire to defeat despite multiple attempts between 1600 and 1193 B.C.E. Their military prowess is thought to have contributed to the eventual downfall of the Hittite Empire. Additionally, the Kaska are linked to the Sea Peoples, a confederation of tribes believed to have played a key role in the destruction of several Greek city-states and the Hittite Empire around 1200 B.C.E. Today, the legacy of the Kaska is reflected in the Circassian Turks living in northern Turkey, who are considered descendants of this ancient people.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Kaska (ancient tribal people)
Related civilizations: Hittite Empire, Mycenaean Greece.
Also known as: Kashku; Kirrukaska.
Date: 1600-1100 b.c.e.
Locale: Eastern Europe, Turkey
Kaska
The Kaska (KAHS-kuh) were an ancient people who lived in northern Anatolia (modern Turkey). The term Kirrukaska (kirru, blond, and kaska, head) reveals that these people were noted for their blond hair and blue eyes. It is thought that the Kaska were a subgroup of a larger aggregate group known as the Sherdana, who originated in North Africa and eventually migrated via extensive sea voyaging to settle the Black Sea area, Scandinavia, and the northern Atlantic islands of Britain, Ireland, and Iceland as well as the northern Anatolian territory of the Kaska.
The Kaska were known as a fierce tribal people who did not settle in cities. The mighty Hittite Empire immediately to the south repeatedly attempted to conquer the Kaska from 1600 b.c.e. to about 1193 b.c.e., but the Kaska’s expertise in guerrilla warfare made them impossible to defeat using the customary tactics of the day. The eventual destruction of the Hittite Empire was attributed to the Kaska. It is also thought that the Kaska may have joined with other Sherdana tribes as well as a group of Berbers and survivors of the breakup of the Cretan civilization in a loose confederation known as the Sea Peoples.
The Sea Peoples were collectively thought to be responsible for the destruction of virtually all the Greek city-states (such as Mycenae and Pylos) as well as the Hittite Empire by 1200 b.c.e. Descendants of the original Kaska are still seen in northern Turkey, where they are known as Circassian Turks.
Bibliography
Sanders, N. K. The Sea Peoples: Warriors of the Ancient Mediterranean. London: Thames and Hudson, 1985.
Stillman, N., and N. Talus. Armies and Enemies of the Ancient Near East 3000 b.c. Wilshire, England: Wargames Research Group, 1984.
Yadin, Y. The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands in the Light of Archaeological Discovery. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1963.