Researchers managed to translate the inscriptions in an ancient tunnel in the city of Hattusa. It turns out that Anatolian hieroglyphs describe the man who built this road to Mount Tutalia.
An unexpected discovery in the Ancient City of Hattusa shed light on who is behind the mysterious tunnel construction. Arkeonews writes that Anatolian hieroglyphs discovered in the Yerkapi tunnel offer a unique perspective on the more than 3,500-year-old history of the Hittite Empire.
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Hattusa, once the vibrant capital of the Hittite Empire, is located in the Boğazkale district of Çorum province in Central-North Anatolia. This historically rich monument dates back to B.C. It dates back to the Bronze Age around 2000 BC. B.C. and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
A collection of 249 symbols was discovered in the Yerkapı Tunnel. These symbols, Anatolian hieroglyphs, an ancient form of writing consisting of approximately 500 unique characters, provided important information about the person responsible for the tunnel’s construction.
Hieroglyphs reveal the name and title of the person who supervised the construction of the tunnel. Mardin Artuklu University Archeology Department Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Thanks to Bülent Genç’s efforts, these symbols were successfully deciphered. The surprising thing is that they were originally painted using one of the types of madder.
At both the western and eastern entrances of the tunnel, researchers found hieroglyphs indicating that a man named Arishadu played an important role in the construction of the tunnel. This discovery is an important explanation for the tunnel’s origin.
Additionally, there are “Mount Tutalia” and “road” symbols in the hieroglyphs on the west side of the tunnel. The combination of these symbols suggests that the tunnel may have been built as a route to Mount Tutalia.
Professor Andreas Schachner, leader of the excavation team, emphasized that there were two different sets of symbols on the western side of the tunnel. He continued his explanation as follows: “One group has not yet been fully elucidated, but the meaning of one group is clear. They combined the symbols of ‘Mount Tutalia’ and ‘road’. We know Mount Tutalya from Hittite texts. Mount Tutalya has a name. It has a deep meaning for the Hittites.” So much so that many kings took their royal names from it. The road symbol probably carries meanings such as “the road from Tutalia”, “the road to Mount Tutalia” or “the road through the Mountain Tutalia”.
The presence of these symbols in the tunnel raises the question of whether the tunnel really has a connection with Mount Tutalia. This curiosity makes us think that Yerkapı is a sacred place because it is located at the highest point of Hattusa and can be seen from all directions when viewed from the plain.
According to Professor Schachner, these Anatolian hieroglyphs offer important clues in understanding the Hittite period. “These hieroglyphs appear to be the signature, inscription, or ‘I did it’ statement of the person who built the tunnel. Moreover, it indicates that Anatolian hieroglyphs were widely used in the Hittite world. They were more common than cuneiform.”
Schachner also explained that Anatolian hieroglyphs were probably part of daily life, indicating wider use compared to cuneiform script, which was primarily associated with the state. These hieroglyphs can be used for daily communication, urban navigation signs, and other purposes.
Previously Focus He wrote about an intact necropolis discovered by archaeologists in Italy, decorated with frescoes of Cerberus.
We also talked about the 1800-year-old sarcophagus found during excavations in France, which belonged to a woman with a ‘special status’.
Source: Focus
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