Hittite royal archive in Sivas reaches 184 cuneiform tablets and pieces

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

SIVAS, Türkiye — A major Hittite royal archive uncovered in Kayalıpınar, Sivas, has reached 184 cuneiform tablets and fragments, offering rare insight into state affairs from 3,400 years ago.

Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that 131 new cuneiform tablets and pieces dating to the reign of King Tudhaliya II were unearthed during the 2026 excavations. Together with tablets found in the previous season, the number of pieces linked to the archive has now reached 184.

A Royal Archive From Ancient Šamuḫa

The discovery was made at Kayalıpınar in Sivas’ Yıldızeli district, a settlement identified in Old Assyrian and Hittite sources as Šamuḫa.

The site has long been regarded as an important center for understanding Hittite history, religion and administration. The latest finds, however, have elevated Kayalıpınar’s significance by revealing what officials describe as the most comprehensive Hittite-language archive discovered in the 21st century.

The tablets were written in Hittite and Hurrian and include texts related to royal administration, military developments, religious practices, rituals, prayers and divination.

Minister Ersoy Announces the Discovery

Minister Ersoy said the discovery opened a new window into the Hittites’ “state memory,” bringing direct written records from ancient Anatolia into the present.

According to Ersoy, the documents carry information about the Hittite state structure, military concerns, the belief system of the period and personal events affecting the royal family.

He noted that the archive also includes records of a high-fever epidemic that spread from city to city and especially affected children and infants. The tablets mention the health condition of an infant princess, her later death and the funeral ritual held for her.

A 3,400-Year-Old Epidemic Recorded in Tablets

Among the most striking texts in the archive are documents referring to a disease marked by high fever. The illness appears to have spread between cities and severely affected children and babies.

The records show that the health of young princes and princesses, as well as the children of high-ranking Hittite officials, was followed through divination inquiries.

One tablet focuses on the condition of an infant princess who was still being breastfed. Her future and health were reportedly examined through divination practices. Another tablet records that the baby princess later died and that a funeral ritual was performed for her.

A separate tablet sent by a diviner to the king indicates that the infant princess fell ill in a city called Ziulila, whose exact location has not yet been identified.

Military Alarm From Western Anatolia

The archive also sheds light on military pressure faced by the Hittite state. One letter sent by Hittite generals in Western Anatolia to the king in Šamuḫa warns that Hittite territory was surrounded by enemies.

The generals requested soldiers, horses and war chariots in order to defeat the threat. The letter also warned that if the requested support did not arrive, the situation could worsen and the Hittite army might be destroyed.

The message shows the urgency of military communication in the Hittite state and reflects how battlefield developments were directly reported to the royal center.

New Clues About Bird Divination

The Kayalıpınar archive also provides rare details on the Hittites’ divination practices. One tablet records the movements and observations of bird diviners who traveled outside Šamuḫa.

The text notes the cities where the diviners stayed, the routes they followed and the birds they observed. These records offer new information about how bird divination was carried out and interpreted in Hittite religious and political life.

Such texts are important because divination was closely linked to decision-making in the Hittite world. Kings and officials often sought signs before taking major political, military or religious steps.

The Archive Reaches 184 Pieces

In 2025, 53 cuneiform tablets and fragments were found in the same area. With the 131 new discoveries from the 2026 season, the total number of archive pieces has reached 184.

Researchers believe the tablets belong to the same royal archive. Their concentration in Kayalıpınar strengthens the view that ancient Šamuḫa was a key administrative and religious center during the Hittite period.

The texts are dated to the reign of King Tudhaliya II and are expected to provide new evidence on Hittite history, language development, scribal culture and religious practices.

Excavations Continue Under Koç University Team

The Kayalıpınar excavations have been carried out since 2021 with the permission of Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The project is led by Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Maner of Koç University’s Department of Archaeology and History of Art. The excavation team’s work has brought new attention to the site’s role in the political and religious world of ancient Anatolia.

The newly uncovered archive is expected to remain a major focus for Hittite studies, as scholars continue to analyze the tablets and reconstruct the political, social and ritual life reflected in the texts.

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