KAYALIPINAR, TURKEY—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."
