| Hugo Winckler | |
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Hugo Winckler
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| Born | July 4, 1863 Gräfenhainichen, Saxony-Anhalt |
| Died | April 19, 1913 Berlin |
| Nationality | German |
| Fields | archaeologist |
| Known for | Hattusa |
Hugo Winckler (July 4, 1863, Gräfenhainichen, Saxony-Anhalt — April 19, 1913, Berlin) was a German archaeologist and historian who uncovered the capital of the Hittite Empire (Hattusa) at Boğazkale, Turkey.
Winckler was a student of the languages of the ancient Middle East. He wrote extensively on Assyrian cuneiform and the Old Testament, compiled a history of Babylonia and Assyrian that was published in 1891, and translated both the Code of Hammurabi and the Amarna letters. In 1904, he was appointed professor of Oriental languages at the University of Berlin.
Winckler began excavations at Boğazkale in 1906 with support from the German Orient Society. His excavations revealed a stockpile of thousands of hardened clay tablets, many written in the hitherto unknown Hittite language, that allowed Winckler to draw a preliminary outline of Hittite history in the 14th and 13th centuries BC. Winckler continued excavations at the site until 1912, during which time his finds proved that the city was once the capital of a great empire.