Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a previously unknown ancient language on clay tablets unearthed from the ancient capital of the Hittite Empire, Hattusa. The tablets reveal a focus on multiculturalism and preserving the traditions of subject peoples within the empire. The language, called Kalasmaic, was spoken in the Kalasma region and was lost for approximately 3,000 years.
Hollywood is set to produce “The Man from Hattusha,” a historical epic based on a novel by Turkish archaeologist Ahmet Çelik, detailing a pivotal diplomatic mission between the Hittite and Egyptian empires around 3,350 years ago. The film, backed by “Avatar” producer Shawn Anthony Sequeira and Emmy-winning director Nazim Hajiyev, aims to bring the little-known history of the powerful Hittite civilization to a global audience and potentially mark a breakthrough moment for Turkish cinema. The story centers on an envoy sent to negotiate a marriage alliance following the death of Tutankhamun, promising a narrative rich in political intrigue and cultural exchange.
The Thesaurus Linguarum Hethaeorum Digitalis (TLHdig) is a digital tool providing online access to Hittite cuneiform texts. Version 0.2 contains over 98% of published sources and offers advanced search capabilities, along with a submission pipeline for new texts.
A study by the University of Vienna, in collaboration with Harvard University, identifies a newly recognized Caucasus-Lower Volga (CLV) population as a key link in the history of Indo-European languages. This population contributed significantly to the Yamnaya culture and the ancestry of Bronze Age central Anatolians, including Hittite speakers. The findings suggest the CLV group as the source of the proto-Indo-Anatolian language, bridging a historical gap in Indo-European language origins.
Excavations in Turkey have revealed a previously unknown Anatolian-Indo-European language, Kalašma, dating back around 3,000 years. The language is similar to Luwian and has been deciphered by researchers from the University of Worzburg and Istanbul University.
