Unusual animal remains, thought to have been ritually placed, have been discovered within a 3,400-year-old monumental structure during excavations at the ancient Hittite city of Šapinuva in the Ortaköy district of Çorum [1]. This discovery is of great importance as it concretely demonstrates how the Hittites integrated religious beliefs with architectural structures and how sacrificial rituals mentioned in written texts were practiced in real life. Such discoveries, which reveal the rich archaeological past of Anatolia and the traces of different civilizations, further solidify the region's historical significance with each passing day [2].
The excavation team, led by Dr. Önder İpek from Hitit University, found remarkable evidence in two symmetrically designed 'L'-shaped rooms within the structure. In the 2025 field season, the skeleton of a headless young animal (likely a lamb or kid) was found on a stone floor, while in the subsequent season, a cattle skull was unearthed on a similar stone floor in the other room. Researchers emphasize that these remains are not ordinary kitchen waste but were deliberately and ceremonially placed.
Traces of Construction and Renovation Rituals
Hittite cuneiform tablets detail that sacrificial ceremonies were held not only in temples or during festivals but also during the construction, renovation, or purification of buildings. The monumental structure at Šapinuva having undergone different phases strengthens the possibility that these animal remains could have been offerings to the gods during the building's construction or renovation stages. According to a known foundation ritual, sheep were sacrificed and offerings made with various prayers to protect the house from harmful forces.
Second Major Hittite Archive and Rich Finds
Šapinuva was far more than just an ordinary provincial city for the Hittite Empire; it was a royal center that served as the state's capital for a period during the reign of King Tudhaliya II. To date, over 4,000 cuneiform tablets written in Hittite, Hurrian, and Akkadian have been discovered in the region. In addition to this rich archive, finds such as the rare 3,500-year-old Hittite linen fabric, previously discovered and recently exhibited, demonstrate how advanced an industrial and cultural center Šapinuva was [3].
L-Shaped Rooms to Solve the Mystery
The question of whether the structure was a temple, an administrative palace, or another type of public monumental building remains unanswered. An interdisciplinary team of archaeologists, zoologists, and philologists is working to solve this mystery by examining the animal bones in the L-shaped rooms. Once the research is complete, the physical manifestation of Hittite prayers and rituals inscribed on tablets thousands of years ago will be fully illuminated.