Unearthed Language Unveiled in Remnants of Ancient Empire by Archeologists
In modern-day Turkey, the archaeological site of BogAzkoey-Hattusha continues to be a rich source of archaeological and linguistic revelations. This former capital of the Hittite empire, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, has been the subject of over a century of excavation, uncovering around 30,000 cuneiform tablets.
During the 2023 excavations, an entirely new language was discovered at the site. This language, identified as part of the Anatolian Indo-European family, has been named Kalašmaic.
The Kalašma language was believed to originate from the region of Kalasma, near modern-day Bolu or Gerede in Turkey. This discovery reveals that the Hittite scribes were not only preserving their own oldest Indo-European language, Hittite, but also recording rituals and texts in several foreign languages, including Anatolian languages such as Luwian and Palaic, as well as Syrian and Mesopotamian linguistic traditions.
The inclusion of Kalašmaic in these records underscores the complexity of Hittite society, where linguistic diversity was seen as an asset rather than a barrier. The multilingual landscape at Hattusha reveals the complex nature of ancient Anatolian societies.
The Hittite empire had vast influence across the region during its peak between 1650 and 1200 BCE. Their interest in documenting rituals in foreign languages served practical purposes in diplomatic and religious contexts. Recording foreign languages helped the Hittites manage relationships with neighboring peoples and facilitate cross-cultural exchanges.
The discovery of Kalašmaic at Hattusha highlights the potential for more such findings at the site and in the surrounding region. Further excavations could yield additional evidence of the Kalašma language, potentially providing valuable insights into the cultural and historical ties between the Hittites and their neighbors.
This new discovery expands our understanding of the Hittite Empire’s social and political dynamics as a cosmopolitan entity engaging with multiple ethnic and linguistic groups around Anatolia. It illustrates the Hittites’ broad cultural and linguistic interactions with neighboring regions, emphasizing their role in the ancient Near East as a superpower bridging diverse peoples.
[1] Source: Journal of Indo-European Studies [3] Source: Archaeology International
- The multilingual texts discovered at Hattusha show that science and health-and-wellness, as indicated by the recording of foreign languages for practical purposes in religious and diplomatic contexts, were crucial aspects of ancient Hittite society.
- The uncovering of the Kalašma language at the BogAzkoey-Hattusha archaeological site offers medical-condition insights, as it showcases the vast cultural and linguistic interactions of the Hittites with neighboring regions, expanding our understanding of the ancient Near East's social and political dynamics.
