Ancient tablets shed light on Bronze Age Mitanni rule
ISTANBUL
Ongoing excavations at Aççana Höyük, located in the southern province of Hatay's Reyhanlı district, have brought to light cuneiform tablets dating back to around 1500–1400 B.C., Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced.
Addressing the digs ongoing as part of the"Heritage for the Future" project, Ersoy celebrated the findings as a spectacular archaeological discovery.
“Cuneiform tablets from the reign of the Idrimi dynasty, dating to approximately 1500–1400 B.C., have been unearthed during excavations at Aççana Höyük, the ancient city of Alalakh. These documents, found within a thick layer of burned debris, contain information on furniture orders, lists of workers from different cities, and the distribution of food and raw materials,” he said.
Ersoy noted that the findings provide new insights into the life and administration of a regional kingdom under the influence of the Mitanni Empire — one of the major powers of the Late Bronze Age.
“These discoveries shed light not only on the religious life of the kingdom but also on its administrative and economic systems,” he added.
The minister thanked the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums staff and the team of archaeologists working on the site, expressing hope that the discovery would make a lasting contribution to Türkiye’s cultural heritage.
