3,500-year-old tablet found in Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastal city

By Esra Tekin and Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (AA) – A 3,500-year-old tablet was discovered during excavation in Hatay, Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastal city, the country's culture and tourism minister said on Tuesday.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy said the tablet was found at Accana Hoyuk, also known as Old Alalah, in the Reyhanli district of Hatay.

“According to the first readings, the Akkadian cuneiform tablet dating back to the 15th century BC contains records of a significant amount of furniture transactions,” Ersoy said on X.

The tablet weighs 28 grams, he said, believing that it will provide a new perspective on the Late Bronze Age's economic structure and governmental system.

Associate Professor Jacob Lauinger and doctoral student Zeynep Turker from Johns Hopkins University are examining the tablet that measures 4.2 by 3.5 centimeters, has a thickness of 1.6 centimeters, and weighs 27.85 grams.

Linguists are continuing to research the artifact's initial lines, which record significant purchases of wooden tables, chairs, and stools, as well as who bought or received them.