3,300-Year-Old Hitтιтe Cuneiform Tablet Found In Büklükale Deciphered!
A 3,300-year-old Hitтιтe cuneiform tablet found in Büklükale, Turkey, has finally been deciphered and sheds new light on the ancient Hitтιтe civilization.
The tablet is inscribed with 70 lines of text. The form of the cuneiform characters suggests that it originates from the Hitтιтe kingdom, dating back to the 14th century B.C.
The ancient city of Büklükale, located about 100 kilometers from the capital, Ankara, was a large and important Hitтιтe city.
The Hitтιтes, an ancient civilization that once held significant power in the region of Anatolia, have long captivated the interest of archaeologists and historians. However, uncovering factual information about this extinct culture has proven challenging.
Led by Matsumura Kimiyoshi of the Japanese Insтιтute of Anatolian Archaeology, which is a part of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan, a dedicated archaeology team has devoted 15 years to uncovering the secrets buried within the ruins of the ancient city Büklükale.
The Hitтιтes, known for using clay tablets, recorded state treaties, decrees, prayers, myths, and summoning rituals. Recognized as the earliest Indo-Germanic language, the Hitтιтe language remained a mystery until researchers successfully deciphered it approximately a century ago.
Upon successfully translating the 3,300-year-old Hitтιтe cuneiform tablet Kimiyoshi and his team discovered last year, researchers learned that Büklükale was a royal palace. This suggests it may have been equivalent in status to the royal residence in the Hitтιтe capital, Hattusa.
The ancient clay tablet also contains information about enemies of the Hitтιтe Empire.
Mark Weeden, an ᴀssociate Professor of Ancient Middle Eastern Languages at University College London, has translated the cuneiform text on the tablet.
The initial six lines are in Hitтιтe language and indicate that “four cities, including the capital, Hattusa, are in disaster.” The subsequent 64 lines consist of a prayer in the Hurrian language seeking victory.
Previously, tablets inscribed with the Hurrian language were exclusively discovered in the remnants of significant ancient cities closely ᴀssociated with royal families, like Hattusa. The recent discovery of such a tablet suggests that Büklükale was one of these influential cities.
Hurrian, once the language of the Mitanni kingdom that later fell under Hitтιтe control, remains a bit of a mystery. Despite its historical significance, it is not well understood. Scholars have spent several months trying to decipher the ancient inscription.
Historical records suggest that this tablet was created during a political marriage between the king of Hitтιтe and a princess from one of these eastern kingdoms.
It is widely believed that following this union, the Hitтιтes adopted the religion of their new allies and incorporated Hurrian into their religious ceremonies.
According to Yamamoto Hajime, an expert on the Hitтιтe kingdom at Yamaguchi University, the Hitтιтe Empire was in conflict with a western neighboring nation at the time. Concurrently, Egyptian diplomatic records indicate that the pharaoh arranged a political alliance through marriage with a woman from this rival country.
The tablet reveals the name of the enemy nation’s king, suggesting that the city might have been under siege due to its geographical position at the farthest western point of Hitтιтe territory.
Yamamoto also says that the Hitтιтe kingdom subsequently emerged as a significant regional force. Therefore, he anticipates that future discoveries from the site may show how this achievement was accomplished.
