Hittite Site Yields Dozens of Cuneiform Tablets and Seal Impressions

Archaeology Magazine ^ | September 22, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Recent excavations near the Turkish village of Kayalipinar, which has been identified as the ancient Hittite settlement of Samuha, unearthed 56 cuneiform tablets and 22 seal impressions that have provided new insight into Late Bronze Age political structures and religious rituals, according to a Türkiye Today report. Several of the clay tablets contain information concerning bird divination, a practice in which priests were consulted and would make prophecies based on the behavior and flight patterns of birds. The texts record inquiries that were made to these interpreters, called lumushen, regarding the fates of royal heirs such as the crown princes and princesses. The seal impressions belonged to high-ranking government officers and members of the royal family, including Tudhaliya IV (reigned ca. 1237–1209 b.c.), the son of King Hattushili III. These items would have been used in an official capacity to sign off on administrative documents and financial transactions. The collection of newly discovered artifacts may have been part of a state archive located in the ancient city, suggesting the site served as a major Hittite administrative and religious center 3,200 years ago. To read about a monument Tudhaliya built to himself at a natural spring in central Turkey, go to "The Ancient Promise of Water: The King's Speech."

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: birddivination; catastrophism; cuneiform; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; hattushiliiii; hattusiliiii; hittite; hittites; kayalipinar; lumushen; samuha; tudhaliyaiv

[SunkenCiv]

The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, alpha:

• Archaeologists Have Unearthed an Ancient Site in Turkey That May Predate the Famous Temple Site of Göbekli Tepe [09/24/2025]
  • New Site Discovered in Turkey Could Be Older Than Göbeklitepe [09/03/2025]
• Artifacts from Wreck of Titanic's Sister Ship Recovered [09/25/2025]
• Deep-Sea Ghost Sharks Grow Teeth on Their Foreheads, and Scientists Finally Know Why [09/22/2025]
• Horses Arrived in Sicily Earlier Than Previously Thought [09/24/2025]
• How a Syrian Desert Fort Rewrote Roman History [10:27] [09/27/2025]
• Major Neolithic Monuments Identified in Austria [09/26/2025]
• Nathan Hale is executed by the British for spying (Sept. 22, 1776) [09/22/2025]
• A New Discovery Could Help Lead Archaeologists to Cleopatra's Tomb [09/25/2025]
• Personal Toolkit of Ice Age Hunter Recovered [09/25/2025]
• Proof John Jay Had a Copy and Used Vattel's Legal Treatise 'Law of Nations or Principles of Natural Law' During Nation's Founding [09/27/2025]
• Researchers Solve Mystery of Armenia's "Dragon Stones" [09/27/2025]
• Scholars Determine Identity of Chersonesus Statue [09/26/2025]
• 1,600-year-old coin hoard found in complex tunnel system under Galilee dates to last Jewish rebellion against Romans [09/21/2025]
• Sun Chariot: An ornate Bronze Age treasure that may have featured in an ancient Nordic religious ceremony [09/21/2025]
• Thieves Steal and Destroy Solid Silver Statue of Abraham Lincoln Created by Mount Rushmore Sculptor Gutzon Borglum [09/21/2025]
• This Croc-Eating Dinosaur Ruled South America 70 Million Years Ago, And The Claw On It? Outrageous [09/23/2025]
• A 3,000-Year-Old Bracelet Belonging to an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Has Been Stolen, Sold and Melted Down for Gold [09/22/2025]
• 12,000-Year-Old Evidence Reveals Smoke-Drying Mummies Preceded Egypt's Pyramids [09/26/2025]
• Why You Should See The Full Constitution At The National Archives This Month [09/23/2025]

[SunkenCiv]

Cuneiform tablet and seal impression

Koç University

[SunkenCiv]

(sidebar)

Colossal Neo-Assyrian Sculpture Unearthed in Mosul | Archaeology Magazine | September 24, 2025

According to a report by the Assyrian International News Agency, Iraqi authorities announced the discovery of a new monumental Assyrian sculpture at the Nabi Yunus site in ancient Nineveh, modern-day Mosul. The artwork depicts a lamassu, a hybrid creature that usually had the body of a bull or lion, the wings of an eagle, and a human head. These entities often served as protective deities in Mesopotamian culture. Measuring about 20 feet tall, the newly uncovered sculpture is the largest of its kind that has ever been unearthed. It likely dates to the reign of Esarhaddon, who ruled the Neo-Assyrian Empire between 680 and 669 b.c., a period when Assyria was the largest kingdom the world had ever seen. Archaeologists from a collaborative project between Germany's Heidelberg University and Iraq's Ministry of Culture discovered the massive statue in the ruins of what they believe was the throne room of Esarhaddon's sprawling palace, where a pair of imposing lamassu would have once guarded the entranceway to the royal hall. To read about the discovery of another lamassu sculpture at Nineveh, go to "The Assyrian Renaissance."

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Colossal Assyrian Winged Bull Unearthed in Iraq: Largest Ever at Six Meters | Oguz Kayra | Arkeonews | 21 September 2025

[SunkenCiv]

The weekly digest list of topics is up top.

[Bob434]

The bible talks about the hittites- the following gives a little histoey, and shows some of the walls and carvings and has a few articles

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/who-were-the-hittites/

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the Hittite/Hittites keywords, sorted:

• Well-Preserved Hittite "Bird Omen Text" Discovered at Kayalipınar-Samuha, a Key Religious Hub of the Ancient Empire [07/25/2025]
• Archaeologists Found Seal Impressions That Could Change Hittite History in Kayalipinar [09/15/2023]

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• Remains of Young Children Hint at Hittite Rituals [08/17/2025]
• A Hittite Version of the Trojan War?! [1:03:07] [07/13/2025]
• 3,500-Year-Old Hittite Linen Fabric Exhibited for the First Time [03/10/2025]
• Ancient DNA Study Sheds New Light on History of Indo-European Languages [02/08/2025]
• Where Did the Iron Age Begin? [02/06/2025]
• 'Whoever Breaks This Will Die': Scientists Reportedly Uncover Chilling Ancient Artifact [07/09/2024]
• Does King Priam of Troy Appear in Hittite Records? [06/21/2024]
• A 3,300-year-old tablet found at Büklükale from Hittite Empire describes catastrophic invasion of four cities [03/13/2024]
• New Indo-European language discovered during excavation in Turkey [09/22/2023]
• 3350 years old palace structure and grain jars found in Aydin, Türkiye [08/17/2023]
• New research suggests drought accelerated empire collapse (Hittite) [02/09/2023]
• Latest find in Turkey's Ayasuluk Hill links Hittites to Ephesus [07/09/2022]
• 3,250-year-old seal belonging to Hittite prince discovered in southern Turkey [11/23/2021]
• 3,500-year-old summer residence of Hittite kings to host visitors [08/15/2021]
• Mysterious 3,200-year-old stone carvings in Turkey finally revealed as ancient Hittite calendar and map of the cosmos [06/17/2021]
• Ancient Hittite cuneiform scripts will soon be accessible online [10/18/2020]
• Joseph and The Exodus [02/17/2019]
• Traces of Iron Age wars found on double-skin wall [09/23/2018]
• Why Vessey Turned Two Swedes Into Hittites [08/26/2016]
• The Hittite capital hosts ambassadors [07/11/2016]
• The Last Days of Hattusa [06/27/2016]
• Monastery new discovery in underground city in Cappadocia [06/26/2016]
• Devastating 'World War ZERO' destroyed ancient civilisations and plunged Europe into a dark age [05/15/2016]
• World War Zero brought down mystery civilisation of 'sea people' [05/13/2016]
• Early Written Signs [02/14/2016]
• Traces of Vikings found at Bathonea archaeological excavation in Istanbul [12/08/2015]
• Archaeologists discover secret tunnel in ancient Hittite castle [10/21/2015]
• Archaeological team prepares 4,000-year-old Hittite meals [09/14/2015]
• Archaeologists discover 2,800-year-old 'burial jars' in Turkey... but what lies inside? [09/07/2015]
• Symbols of Hittite goddess of sexuality found on 4,000-year-old tablet discovered in central Turkey [08/15/2015]
• Archaeologists Find Assyrian Tablets in Turkey, Some About Women's Rights [07/19/2015]
• European languages linked to migration from the east [02/13/2015]
• Pollen Study Points to Drought as Culprit in Bronze Age Mystery (Global Warming in Ancient Times) [10/26/2013]
• Syrian Conflict Imperils Historical Treasures [08/18/2012]
• Lost city found in Turkey: It is older than Troy [09/27/2011]
• Road built over 3000-year-old tumulus in eastern Turkey [07/27/2010]
• University of Toronto archaeologists find...cuneiform tablets in 2,700-year old Turkish temple [08/10/2009]
• Phaistos Disk: Greek or Luwian? [06/25/2009]
• Hittites' holy city Nerik to emerge [09/05/2008]
• Sick Rams Used As Ancient Bioweapons [11/29/2007]
• Messages from the Dead [ Qatna's royal palace and cuneiform archive ] [02/01/2007]
• French Explorer's Bad Luck In Syria Avenged At Last (Hittites) [10/17/2006]
• Ancient Hittite Dam Inaugurated After 32 Centuries [09/20/2006]
• Hittite graves, artifacts unearthed in Adana [06/14/2006]
• Hittite winds blow in Istanbul [05/19/2006]
• Bye-bye Delay! So long crooks! Goodbye world, I'm gone by ZOT! [01/08/2006]
• Bush's Job Growth WORST in 50 Years (Roll out the red carpet for this "staunch Bush supporter.") [01/03/2006]
• Seriously, Why Don't You Trolls Try Something Original? [01/01/2006]
• derr Zot [12/18/2005]
• ZOT! Censorship alleged [12/17/2005]
• In Search of the Real Troy [02/20/2005]
• First Toilet And Sewer System Of Prehistoric Period Found In Van [08/24/2004]
• Amazon Warrior Women [08/04/2004]
• Smenkhkhare, the Hittite Pharaoh [07/30/2004]
• History Channel to air Ancient Battles [Persians-Greeks-Romans - starts 7/23] [07/20/2004]
• A Biological Dig for the Roots of Language [03/18/2004]
• Unearthed: the humble origins of world diplomacy (A Preserved Library from 1340BC discovered!) [01/19/2003]
• Unearthed: The Humble Origins Of World Diplomacy (Hittites) [01/18/2003]
• Smallpox: The Triumph over the Minister of Death [12/05/2002]
• Key To An Ancient Tongue [07/23/2002]
• Recent Finds Prove That Homer's Stories Were More Than Myth [02/24/2002]
• Archaeologists Rewrite Timeline Of Bronze And Iron Ages, Alphabet [12/24/2001]

[SunkenCiv]

One of *those* topics.

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join or quit view topics view or post blog bookmark post new topic subscribe

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[SunkenCiv]

No, the Bible doesn’t. The *name* “Hittites” was lifted from the Old Testament and stuck on the then-newly discovered “Forgotten Empire”. They aren’t the same people.

[Bob434]

Ok- the article did say it was sketchy

[Fai Mao]

Actually, the are the same people

chrome://leo-ai/82cbfc79-d894-432c-8df3-b2a40b028570

[Bob434]

Ok now ya got me confused- same or not?

[SunkenCiv]

Actually, no they’re not.

[Bob434]

Your link doesnt go to any article or result?

[ComputerGuy]

There are so many markings that the tablet on the left looks incomprehensible.
Like my college ‘notes’.

[SunkenCiv]

Chicken scratches, heh, too bad really that it only means “wedge-shaped”.

[Bob434]

Here’s an article going into history of hittites- mighta been what your link was referingmto maybe? There certainky seems to be controversy with both sides having evidence for their argument

https://armstronginstitute.org/954-finding-the-hittites

[Skywise]

lol - There’s an old “Real Ghostbusters” joke on the animated series where they have to retrieve a Seal Impression to seal up a ghost. They find the impression, find the ghost and Venkmann (Bill Murray’s character) is on an icy plateau with the ghost approaching, so they toss the impression down to him. “Peter, the seal impression, the seal impression!”. Peter Venkmann responds with “Bark! Bark! Bark!”
“No... the OTHER seal impression!”

[SunkenCiv]

😁 Nerds (like moi) cringe when watching "Ghostbusters" (the excellent original, quintessential comedy, not the sequels), near the end, when Ackroyd's character refers to the "Tunguska blast of 1909" -- it was in 1908 (June 30, 1908, sez here).

[SunkenCiv]

...and let’s not forget this absurd exchange:

PETER Well, okay. I found the name Zuul for you. The name Zuul refers to a demi-god worshipped around 6000 BC by the - what’s that word?

DANA Hittites.

PETER Hittites, the Mesopotamians and the Sumerians.

DANA (reading PETER’s notes) Zuul was the minion of Gozer. What’s Gozer?

PETER Gozer was very big in Sumeria. Big guy.