Mustafa Kibaroğlu
Research / Central Anatolia · Clay sealings

In search of Tarhuntassa.

Combining archaeometry, historical geography and linguistic analysis in the search for a lost Hittite capital.

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Clay sealing with an impressed seal and cuneiform signs
In search of Tarhuntassa · Clay sealing · Select image to view full size
In Search of the "City of the Storm God": Tarhuntassa, the Lost Capital of the Hittite Empire

This current interdisciplinary project integrates archaeometry, historical geography, and linguistic analysis of clay sealings (bulla) to identify the location of Tarhuntassa, a lost Hittite capital in Central Anatolia. Key methods include geochemical analysis of clay objects (sealings and tablets) linked philologically to Tarhuntassa using portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF), alongside reference clay samples from the Konya region and Hattusa/Boğazköy. The study aims to reassess Hittite political geography and establish a methodological framework for locating ancient capitals based on archaeometric and textual evidence.

Duration: June 2024 – June 2025 | Funding: Richard C. MacDonald Iliad Endowment for Archaeological Research

Role: Archaeometrist | Collaborators: Michele Massa, Alvise Matessi (Bilkent University, Türkiye), Michaela Schauer (University of Vienna, Austria)

         
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