Hattusa archaeology discovery reveals fragment of ancient peace treaty

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a fragment of a clay tablet containing part of the Kadesh peace treaty, one of the oldest known peace agreements in history. The fragment was found during excavations at the site of Hattusa, the former Hittite capital, located in the Bogazkale district of Çorum.

Scientific analysis confirmed that the fragment, discovered in Buyukade near the Hittite royal palace, belongs to the front side of a contract written in Akkadian cuneiform. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoj stated that the discovery serves as a reminder of Anatolia’s deep roots in the history of diplomacy and peace.

The Hittites were a powerful ancient civilization in Asia Minor that once rivaled the Babylonian and Egyptian empires. The original treaty follows the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE between the Hittites and Egypt.