Making a statement on his social account, Ersoy stated that they made a very important discovery extending to the state memory of the Hittites in Sivas Kayalıpınar.
Ersoy said, "During the 2026 excavations in ancient Samuha, we unearthed 131 cuneiform tablets and fragments belonging to the period 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, describe the state administration of approximately 3,400 years ago." "It brings military developments, the world of faith and the experiences of the royal family directly to the present." shared his knowledge.
Stating that traces of a high-fever epidemic that spread from city to city and especially affecting children and babies were found in the tablets, Ersoy stated that the health condition of a baby princess who fell ill, her subsequent death and the funeral ritual performed for her were also included in the records.
Minister Ersoy said:
"Another letter sent to the king by the Hittite generals in Western Anatolia reveals requests for soldiers, horses and chariots in the face of the enemy threat, and warnings that the army may be destroyed if help does not arrive. The tablets in which the bird fortune tellers recorded the routes they followed and their observations also provide previously unknown information about the divination practices of the Hittites.
This unique archive opens new doors in many areas, from Hittite history to religious practices, from the development of the language to the scribe culture. "We continue to unearth, protect and carry the thousands of years of Anatolia's memory to the future through science."
The most comprehensive Hittite archive found in the 21st century
According to the statement made by the Ministry, Kayalıpınar excavations have been carried out by Koç University Archeology and Art History Department Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. since 2021. Dr. It is carried out by the team headed by Çiğdem Maner.
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 the 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.
An epidemic of high fever spreading from city to city is described.
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 texts on the tablets, in which the health status of little princes and princesses and the children of high-ranking Hittite officials were monitored through fortune-telling due to the disease that caused death, especially in children and babies, 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.
Military threats faced by the Hittite state
Documents from the royal archives also reveal the military threats faced by the Hittite state.
In a letter sent by the Hittite generals in Western Anatolia to the Hittite king in Samuha, 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.
Bird prophecies of the Hittites
On a tablet in the archive, the observations made by bird fortune tellers in different regions outside Samuha are recorded in a diary, while the cities where the 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.
