Mysterious tablet with ‘lost’ language describes catastrophic ancient ‘disaster’ that struck four cities 3,300 years ago

A PERPLEXING 3,300-year-old clay tablet has been unearthed in Turkey.

The small tablet was found in May 2023 by Kimiyoshi Matsumura, an archaeologist at the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology.

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It was found in the Hittite ruins of Büklükale, located around 37 miles southeast of Ankara.

The tablet may offer new insights into a darker chapter in the history of the Hittite Empire.

The Hittite was a Bronze Age state centered in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).

Despite its significance, much about the Hittite Empire remains shrouded in mystery.

This is mainly due to its language not being deciphered until the early 20th century, in the 1930s.

On this particular tablet are inscriptions in both the Hittite and Hurrian languages that detail a devastating invasion.

The invasion struck four Hittite cities during a tumultuous period of civil war.

Researchers believe the tablet was used in a religious ceremony, as possibly a plea for victory by the Hittite king.

Mark Weeden, an associate professor of ancient Middle Eastern languages at University College London, translated the first six lines.

According to Weeden, the texts says that “four cities, including the capital, Hattusa, are in disaster.”

Meanwhile, the remaining 64 lines are a prayer in the Hurrian language asking for victory.

Researchers noted that the Hurrian language was likely used in religious ceremonies by the Hittites.

“The find of the Hurrian tablet means that the religious ritual at Büklükale was performed by the Hittite king,” he said in an email.

“It indicates that, at the least, the Hittite king came to Büklükale … and performed the ritual.”

The Hittite Empire was a major power in the ancient world, ruling over Anatolia and parts of the Near East from the 18th to the 12th centuries BCE.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk