Four Hittite generations depicted on rare stele
SİVAS
A rare Late Hittite artifact known as the İspekçir Stele is on display at the Sivas Archaeology Museum, offering a glimpse into four generations of Hittite lineage through hieroglyphic inscriptions and carved figures.
Discovered in 1907 in the village of İspekçir, near the Tohma River between Malatya and Darende, the basalt stele dates back to the Late Hittite period (1200–700 B.C.). The artifact, nearly two meters tall and shaped like a rectangular prism, features three decorated sides with Luwian hieroglyphs and reliefs.
According to Professor Uysal from Sivas Cumhuriyet University’s Department of Archaeology, the stele was likely commissioned by Arnuvantis II, a regional ruler of Malatya. “The figures represent Kuzi Tešub, king of Carchemish; his grandson Arnuvantis I, appointed to rule Malatya; Arnuvantis I’s wife; and their grandson Arnuvantis II, who had the stele erected,” Uysal told state-run Anadolu Agency.
After the fall of the Hittite Empire around 1200 B.C., several Neo-Hittite city-states emerged in southern Anatolia and northern Syria. Carchemish, one of the most powerful among them, controlled territories extending into present-day Malatya.
“Carchemish’s rulers were often appointed from the Hittite royal family,” said Uysal. “Kuzi Tešub governed both Carchemish and Malatya and installed his kin Arnuvantis I as a local ruler in Malatya.”
The stele shows Arnuvantis II pouring a liquid from a vessel in front of his deified ancestors — Arnuvantis I and his wife. This iconography aligns with Hittite beliefs that deceased members of the royal family became gods. Hieroglyphic inscriptions explain the identities and roles of each figure.
“The rear of the stele is smooth, while the other three faces are decorated,” Uysal said. “The figures are carved above the inscriptions, following the conventions of Late Hittite art.”
Uysal emphasized the artifact's significance, as it documents four generations of rulers tied to the Hittite legacy in Anatolia. “These individuals were likely the last representatives of the Hittite royal lineage in the region,” he added.
