In-depth Archaeological Analysis
Excavations at Büklükale, located at a key crossing point on the Kızılırmak River in the Karakeçili district of Kırıkkale in Central Anatolia, are revealing evidence that the site was occupied over a long period by different cultures. Under the direction of Japanese archaeologist Assoc. Prof. Kimiyoshi Matsumura, the team has been conducting systematic excavations every year since 2009 during the May and June field seasons in two sectors defined as the "upper town" and the "lower town".[1][2] According to information reported in the news coverage, the data obtained so far have led researchers to consider Büklükale as a center that may have been directly connected with the Hittite capital or with a royal palace complex.[1] The excavation results indicate remains associated with the Ottoman period, the Hellenistic period and the era of Alexander the Great, the Iron Age, Achaemenid Persians, Lydians, Cimmerians and Hittites have been identified at the site.[1][3] In Matsumura’s assessment, Büklükale’s position controlling a crossing route over the Kızılırmak is seen as one of the main reasons for this multilayered pattern of use. Within this framework, it is suggested that Büklükale may have functioned as a stop or station that oversaw east-west routes and retained its importance as political powers shifted.[2] The news report notes that three seal impressions from the Hittite period are interpreted as possibly belonging to a Hittite king or queen. Alongside these sealings, one of the cuneiform tablets recovered in the excavation is described as potentially relating to a letter sent to a Hittite king. Matsumura states that these documents point to the possibility of direct contact between Büklükale and the Hittite royal milieu, and even raises the possibility that the Hittite king may have been physically present at the site, albeit for a short time. This assessment is based on the interpretation of the excavation team and is presented as a hypothesis constructed from the currently limited corpus of written and archaeological evidence. The excavations have also yielded a tablet mentioning Tarhundaradu, king of Arzawa, a kingdom in western Anatolia known as a rival of the Hittites. Because Arzawa represented a threat to the Hittites, the researchers consider that this document may be connected with a prayer or ritual text directed against an enemy power. It is further reported that a fortification wall attributed to the Cimmerians and arrowheads found on an architectural floor associated with this phase have been identified at Büklükale, prompting discussion that the site may represent one of the earliest Cimmerian settlements in Anatolia. However, both the extent of Cimmerian occupation and the content of the ritual texts thought to be directed against Arzawa are highlighted as interpretations proposed by the excavation team that will need to be supported by further research.
Key Findings
- The Büklükale excavations have been carried out every May and June since 2009, under a project initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
- At the site, strata or find assemblages have been identified that are attributed to the Ottoman period, the Hellenistic period, the time of Alexander the Great, the Iron Age, Achaemenid Persia, Lydia, the Cimmerians and the Hittites.
- The excavations have uncovered three seal impressions that are thought to possibly belong to a Hittite king or queen, as well as a tablet reported to be a letter addressed to a Hittite king.
- A tablet mentioning Arzawa King Tarhundaradu, together with a fortification wall attributed to the Cimmerians and arrowheads dated to this phase and associated with warfare, are among the finds that underscore the site’s significance for political and military history.
Historical Context and Links to the Past
The work at Büklükale is being conducted within a research framework centered on the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology, which aims to better understand the transition from the final phases of the Hittite Empire to the subsequent Iron Age and later periods.[4] While the major centers around Hattusa are relatively well known, the administrative and military roles of medium-sized settlements, particularly in the border zones of the empire, are less clear. One of the focal points for Matsumura and his team at Büklükale is described as helping to fill this gap in our knowledge.[4] In recent years, the analysis of a 3,300-year-old Hittite cuneiform tablet containing Hurrian and Hittite prayers and ritual formulas, making reference to Arzawa King Tarhundaradu and mentioning a possible external attack, has strengthened interpretations that Büklükale may have been an important node in both religious and political terms. Architectural remains and traces of conflict associated with the Cimmerians are also regarded as among the rare archaeological cases where the movements and incursions of groups arriving in Anatolia from north of the Black Sea can be traced along this route.
Archaeologist’s Note
The Büklükale excavations shift the focus of Hittite research in Central Anatolia, which has generally centered on the capital and major citadel sites, toward a medium-sized settlement at a strategic transit point, thereby offering a complementary perspective. The seal impressions and texts that are considered potentially connected to the Hittite royal circle reopen debate on the role of such centers within the empire’s administrative and diplomatic networks. At this stage, interpretations are being made on the basis of a limited number of sealings and tablets; whether comparable finds emerge in forthcoming seasons will determine how clearly the status of the settlement can be defined. References to Arzawa and the Cimmerians make it possible, within a single site, to follow both ritual or political responses to hostile powers in western Anatolia and military processes associated with mounted groups advancing from the north. However, although the existing data allow for preliminary interpretation, it is considered too early to reach firm conclusions about the scale of Cimmerian occupation or the precise nature of the texts thought to be directed against Arzawa. In the coming excavation seasons at Büklükale, especially if well-dated architectural units and new written documents are uncovered, they will play a decisive role in showing to what extent these current interpretations will stand the test of time.
Sources and Further Reading
- [1] Japanese archaeologist uncovers traces of Anatolia's ancient past at Buklukale - Türkiye Today. turkiyetoday.com. Go to Original Source
- [2] Japanese archaeologist unearths Hittite remains - Türkiye News. hurriyetdailynews.com. Go to Original Source
- [3] Excavations uncover traces of Alexander the Great-era site. hurriyetdailynews.com. Go to Original Source
- [4] [PDF] BÜKLÜKALE IN THE HITTITE PERIOD Kimiyoshi MATSUMURA. discovery.ucl.ac.uk. Go to Original Source