Important discoveries related to the history of the ancient Hittite State have been made during archaeological excavations near the Kayalıpınar district in Türkiye’s Sivas Province. Researchers uncovered 131 cuneiform tablets and fragments bearing inscriptions in the Hittite and Hurrian languages. This was reported by Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Together with the finds discovered last year, the total number of clay documents preserved in the archive has reached 184. The collection has gone down in history as the largest assemblage of Hittite written artefacts discovered in the 21st century.

Dating back to the mid-15th century BC, during the reign of King Tudhaliya II, the documents contain valuable information about the ancient state’s administrative system, military events and religious traditions.

Among the inscriptions are accounts of an epidemic that spread among the population during that period and particularly affected children’s health. The documents also preserve an official appeal from Hittite military commanders to the king, requesting the urgent dispatch of troops, horses and war chariots to repel a threat that had emerged in western Anatolia.

These discoveries will serve as an important historical source for studying the political, social and military life of the ancient Hittite State.