Rediscovering a Lost Language: The Mysterious Clay Tablets of the Hittite Empire

Archaeologists in Turkey recently made a groundbreaking discovery of tens of thousands of ancient clay tablets dating back to the time of the Hittite Empire in the second millennium BCE. These tablets contain a mysterious text that has puzzled experts as it appears to be a previously unknown language from over 3,000 years ago. The writing on the tablets resembles other Anatolian-Indo-European languages, but it is distinct from any other ancient script found in the Middle East.

The text begins at the end of a ritual document written in the oldest known Indo-European language, Hittite. The tablets contain an introduction that translates to "From now on, read in the language of Kalama." According to scholars, the mention of Kalašma refers to an ancient society from the Bronze Age, likely located on the northwest fringe of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia.

This society was believed to be situated far from the Hittite capital city of Hattusa, where the clay tablets were eventually unearthed during an excavation at Boğazköy-Hattusha, a UNESCO World Heritage site in north-central Turkey. Andreas Schachner, the head of Hattusa Ruins Archaeological Excavations, expressed the significance of the discovery when he first held the tablet. He noted its remarkable preservation compared to the over 25,000 other tablets found at the same site in Boğazköy.

Professor Daniel Schwemer, from the Chair of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in Germany, highlighted the Hittites' particular interest in recording rituals in foreign languages. He explained that while the discovery of a new language is intriguing, it is not entirely surprising given the Hittites' historical practices. Schwemer revealed that the text would be published in the seventh volume of a series of cuneiform texts on February 9, 2024.

The transliteration of the text will be available in the Thesaurus Linguarum Hethaeorum Digitalis, a peer-reviewed repository of cuneiform manuscripts from Hittite tablet collections. The unveiling of this ancient text has sparked excitement among scholars and researchers, who hope to uncover more about the mysterious language and the society it represents. The discovery sheds new light on the Hittites' cultural practices and their interactions with neighboring civilizations during the Bronze Age.

The tablets are expected to provide valuable insights into the history, language, and religious rituals of the ancient Anatolian region. As researchers continue to decipher the text and analyze its significance, it is anticipated that more revelations about this enigmatic language and its connection to the Hittite Empire will emerge. The discovery of the ancient clay tablets in Turkey represents a significant milestone in understanding the language and culture of the Hittite civilization.

It underscores the importance of archaeological excavations and the preservation of historical artifacts for unraveling the mysteries of the past and enriching our knowledge of ancient civilizations.