New Fragment of the Kadesh Peace Treaty Discovered in Hattusa

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Archaeologists in the Hittite capital of Hattusa have unearthed a new tablet fragment of the Kadesh Treaty, detailing refugee rights in the world's first peace accord.

New Fragment of the Kadesh Peace Treaty Discovered in Hattusa
Image credit: Indyturk

Hattusa, the Hittite capital located in the Boğazkale district of Çorum and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has hosted a significant discovery that revitalizes the history of world diplomacy. A cuneiform tablet fragment found during excavations in the Büyükkale sector has been identified as a copy of the famous Kadesh Peace Treaty, signed between the Hittite King Hattusili III and the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II [1].

Millennia-Old Records on Refugee Rights

The newly discovered tablet fragment contains articles 12 through 20 of the treaty, focusing specifically on its humanitarian dimensions. The text details the repatriation processes and the treatment of individuals seeking asylum from one country to another. In the legible sections, statements regarding the protection of refugees' homes and the preservation of their dignity are particularly striking. These lines demonstrate that refugee rights, a cornerstone of modern international law, were recorded in diplomatic language as early as 3,285 years ago.

Completing the Missing Pieces of Diplomatic History

While the Egyptian version of the Kadesh Treaty is preserved in hieroglyphs on temple walls in Egypt, Akkadian-language clay tablet copies continue to be unearthed piece by piece during excavations at Hattusa. Hattusa maintains its status as one of the richest archives of the ancient world, not only through this treaty but also with the recent discovery of new Indo-European languages in the region [2]. The newly found fragment will contribute to the integrity of the text by being analyzed alongside other Kadesh fragments exhibited worldwide, such as those in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

Officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism state that ongoing work concentrated near 'Building E' in Büyükkale may reveal other as-yet-unreached parts of the treaty. While the region's natural beauty and historical fabric welcome thousands of visitors annually, such new finds reinforce Hattusa's central position in world archaeology [3].

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Image & News Source: Indyturk / indyturk.com