This time, the Anatolian land has brought to the present not only the works of a civilization, but also state documents that directly record the events that took place approximately 3,400 years ago. Excavations carried out in Kayalıpınar, a settlement in the Yıldızeli district of Sivas, referred to as Šamuḫa in Old Assyrian and Hittite sources, have revealed very important new data about Hittite history.
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, King II. He announced on his social media account that 131 cuneiform tablets and fragments from the Tudhaliya period were unearthed.
Minister Ersoy's post is as follows:
"In Sivas Kayalıpınar, we made a very important discovery that extends to the state memory of the Hittites. During the 2026 excavations in ancient Šamuḫa, we unearthed 131 cuneiform tablets and fragments from the reign of King Tudhaliya II. Together with those found last season, the number reached 184. Thus, the royal archive in Kayalıpınar took its place in history as the most comprehensive Hittite archive unearthed in the 21st century." These documents, written in Hittite and Hurrian, carry the state administration, military developments, world of faith and the experiences of the royal family of approximately 3,400 years ago directly to the present day. While traces of a high-fever epidemic that spread from city to city and especially affected children and babies, the health condition of a baby princess, her subsequent death and the funeral ritual performed for her are also recorded. It reveals that horses and chariots were requested, and warnings that the army could be destroyed if help did not arrive. The tablets, in which the bird fortune tellers recorded their routes and observations, also provide previously unknown information about the divination practices of the Hittites. This unique archive opens a new door in many areas, from Hittite history to religious practices, from the development of the language to the culture of scribes. We continue to unearth, preserve and carry the thousands of years of Anatolia's memory to the future with science.
THE PANDEMIC OF 3,400 YEARS AGO WAS WRITTEN ON TABLETS
While the archive includes texts in the categories of prophecy, fortune telling, letters, rituals and prayers, some of the most striking documents describe an epidemic of high fever that spread from city to city.
The tablets show that the health status of little princes and princesses and the children of high-ranking Hittite officials was monitored through fortune-telling, due to the disease that led especially children and babies to death. The texts directly reflect the anxiety caused by the epidemic in the Hittite royal family.
In the documents, it is seen that the health condition of a breastfed baby princess was handled with great concern, and that attempts were made to understand her future through divination. Another tablet records the death of the baby princess and the funeral ritual performed for her.
Another tablet sent by the fortune teller to the king also reveals that the baby princess fell ill in the city of Ziulila, whose location has not yet been determined.
WAR ALERT FROM WESTERN ANATOLIA TO THE KING
Documents from the royal archive reveal not only the health crises experienced by the palace, but also the military threats faced by the Hittite state.
In a letter sent by Hittite generals in Western Anatolia to the Hittite king in Šamuḫa, it is reported that the Hittite region was surrounded by enemies. Generals request the sending of soldiers, horses and chariots to defeat the enemies.
The letter also includes warnings that if the requested support is not received, the situation will worsen and the Hittite army will be destroyed. The generals also inform the king that they will not take responsibility for the consequences if the necessary support is not sent.
UNKNOWN THINGS ARE REVEALED ABOUT THE BIRD PROPHECIES OF THE HITTITES
The archive also provides previously unknown information about the world of faith and prophecy of the Hittites.
On a tablet, the observations made by bird fortune tellers in different regions outside of Šamuḫa are recorded in a diary form. The cities where fortune-tellers stayed, the routes they followed and the birds they observed are detailed in the documents.
Cuneiform texts also reveal previously unknown information about how bird fortune telling is evaluated and interpreted.
THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE HITTITISH ARCHIVE
While it was evaluated that the 53 cuneiform tablets and fragments seized in the same area in Kayalıpınar in 2025 belonged to this archive, the number of tablets and fragments in the archive reached 184 with 131 new finds in 2026.
According to the evaluation of the excavation team, the royal archive unearthed in Kayalıpınar is the most comprehensive Hittite archive found in the 21st century.
King II Texts dated to the Tudhaliya period; In addition to Hittite history and religious practices, it also contains important new information about the development of the Hittite language and the scribe culture of the period.
Kayalıpınar excavations have been carried out by Koç University Archeology and Art History Department faculty member Assoc. Prof. with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism since 2021. Dr. It is carried out by the team headed by Çiğdem Maner.
