Political fragmentation, combined with their extensive network of settlements and fortifications, made the Luwians remarkably resilient to external pressures and enabled their cultural and linguistic traditions to persist after the decline of the Bronze Age states. The continued use of Luwian hieroglyphic writing well into the Iron Age suggests that their intellectual and administrative traditions survived the collapse of the Bronze Age states.
The Luwian language had a lasting influence on subsequent Anatolian cultures. The widespread use of Luwian names and symbols throughout Anatolia and beyond underscores their enduring influence on the region’s identity. The adoption of Luwian words into Hittite, Greek, and Phrygian suggests sustained cultural interactions, particularly in the areas of government, religion, and military terminology. The survival of personal and topographical names with Luwian roots – such as Tarhuntašša, the city of the storm god – suggests that Luwian linguistic influence was not only ephemeral but deeply rooted in regional identity. Even after the decline of the Luwian-speaking communities, their language continued to shape the vocabulary and administrative practices of the successor states, reflecting the role of the Luwians in the preservation and transmission of cultural knowledge.
The most widespread indigenous Anatolian language was Luwian.
Reliefs on the western wall of Chamber A in the Hittite rock sanctuary Yazılıkaya with bull-men in the center (© Luwian Studies #1213)
The speakers of Luwian inhabited a vast area stretching from the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea to the Euphrates valley.
The religious beliefs and myths of the Luwians played a crucial role in shaping broader traditions in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean. Many deities of Hittite and later Greek mythology show clear parallels to Luwian cult practices. For example, the weather god Tarhunt bears remarkable similarities to Zeus and other Indo-European sky gods. The use of rock sanctuaries and monumental reliefs was particularly significant – a practice that continued in Anatolia for many generations. Luwian religious traditions survived well into the first millennium BCE and shaped the iconography of later cultures. Particularly distinctive was the worship of deities in rock sanctuaries and monumental reliefs, a practice that survived in Anatolia long after the decline of Luwian culture.
The Luwians played a central economic and political role in the emergence of later Anatolian states such as Phrygia, Lydia, and Caria. The legendary wealth of rulers such as Midas and Croesus, whose fortunes became proverbial, was based on resources and trade networks that had already been developed in Luwian times. The invention of coinage in Lydia, a milestone in economic history, can be seen as part of a larger legacy of innovations that had their roots in Luwian Anatolia. These developments laid the foundation for the economic structures that later characterized the ancient world – proof of the long-lasting importance of the Luwian culture in the economic and political fabric of Anatolia.
Perhaps most significant is the intellectual influence of the Luwians on the ancient Mediterranean. Early Greek thinkers, poets, and historians from western Anatolia – including Homer, Herodotus, and the Ionian philosophers – were in close contact with a cultural heritage deeply rooted in the Luwian past. The exchange of ideas between Anatolia and Greece, facilitated by trade and migration, played a central role in shaping the intellectual foundations of Western civilization.
Recognizing the contributions of the Luwians enables a more nuanced understanding of how knowledge, traditions, and cultural practices were passed on and transformed in the ancient world – and thus influenced the development of European intellectual history in the long term.
Chamber 2 on the Suedburg of Hattuša features a 4 m long Luwian hieroglyphic inscription by Šuppiluliuma (presumably I) in which the great king reports on military campaigns and the founding of cities in western Anatolia (© Luwian Studies #1031)
The artistic and architectural legacy of the Luwians left a lasting mark on Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean. Monumental reliefs and inscriptions in Luwian hieroglyphs, such as those at Karabel and Eflatunpınar, testify to a distinctive visual language that persisted into the first millennium BCE. These artistic conventions influenced later Anatolian states, including the New Hittite Kingdoms and Phrygia, as evidenced by their stone reliefs and city gates decorated with protective deities.
A particularly noteworthy feature of Luwian art was the integration of religious and political iconography into the natural landscape. Rock reliefs and inscriptions connected the divine with the environment and made sacred places visible. Open-air sanctuaries, such as Yazılıkaya, served as cultic spaces where religion and nature merged. This practice set a cultural precedent that was later adopted by peoples such as the Lydians and Lycians. The visual language of the Luwians was thus not only an expression of their own identity, but also a source of artistic and religious inspiration for subsequent civilizations.
Many features of the West Phrygian Culture were undoubtedly inherited from the West Anatolian culture of the Late Bronze Age.
The Luwians contributed greatly to the strategic importance of Anatolia as a bridge between civilizations. Their control of key trade routes facilitated the exchange of goods, people, and ideas between Mesopotamia, the Aegean, and the Levant. These cultural and economic transfers not only enriched Luwian society but also allowed for the widespread diffusion of their innovations – from metalworking techniques to religious syncretism and administrative models. The Luwians’ ability to combine indigenous Anatolian traditions with outside influences helped ensure that their cultural achievements would endure into later periods. Their contribution to the economic and cultural integration of Anatolia and its neighboring regions is only beginning to be fully understood.