3,300 Year Old Konya Artifact Keeps Its Secrets

A 3,300-year-old Luwian hieroglyphic inscription discovered in a village house in Konya continues to draw attention as efforts to locate its missing fragment remain ongoing.

The stone block, believed to date back to the reign of IV. Tudhaliya of the Hittite Empire, was once used as a door jamb in a house in Karaören village. After being identified and removed in 2020, the artifact was placed under protection at the Konya Ereğli Museum, where it is still being studied today.

The discovery was made during a regional survey project led by Dr. Çiğdem Maner from Koç University, conducted with the approval of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The project focuses on Bronze and Iron Age settlements across several districts of Konya.

Researchers revealed that the inscription had originally been found decades ago by a local family during house construction. Due to its large size, the stone was broken into pieces, and one part was repurposed as part of the doorway. The remaining section, however, has been missing since 2015 and is still being searched for internationally.

Authorities previously launched a global search with the support of Interpol, but no confirmed trace of the missing fragment has been found so far. Experts believe that recovering the second piece could significantly enhance understanding of the inscription.

Initial examinations of the recovered stone indicate that it contains valuable information about Hittite military campaigns and religious practices, including references to a deer cult associated with the region.

Scholars emphasize that such Luwian hieroglyphic inscriptions are extremely rare and play a crucial role in shedding light on the historical geography and belief systems of the Hittite Empire. As research continues, the artifact remains one of the most remarkable archaeological findings linked to rural Anatolia in recent years.