A Remarkable Newly Deciphered Hittite Tablet Sheds New Light on the Trojan War

Summary

A Remarkable Newly Deciphered Hittite Tablet Sheds New Light on The Trojan WarThe Hittites, creators of invaluable written records from the Anatolian Bronze Age, have gifted us thousands of cuneiform tablets unearthed at sites like their capital, Hattusa (modern Boğazköy, Çorum). Hittitologists, by deciphering these tablets, have revealed crucial insights into Hittite history, religion, and economy, while also providing a window into life in ancient Anatolia.A recent discovery, a tablet from this vast Hittite archive, offers extraordinary information about the Trojan War, a pivotal event in the Anatolian Bronze Age. Deciphered under the direction of Michele Bianconi of Oxford University and recently published as “Keilfischurkunden aus Boghazköi 24.1,” this tablet presents one of the most compelling written links between Bronze Age Anatolia and the epic tradition culminating in Homer’s Iliad.While previous Hittite records referenced familiar names such as Wiluša (Troy/Ilion), Ahhiyawa (the Achaeans), and figures like Alaksandu and Attaršiya (possibly Atreus or an early Achaean leader), this new tablet goes further. It not only reinforces the geopolitical dynamics of the Late Bronze Age but also offers an unprecedented literary fragment, hinting at a local Luwian poetic tradition about the fall of Troy, predating Homer by centuries. Key Findings from the Hittite TextThe tablet details royal correspondence between a Hittite ruler and an individual named Pariyamuwa, likely a regional king or vassal. It recounts Attaršiya of Ahhiyawa and his sons attacking Taruiša (Troy). This narrative aligns with CTH 147 (“The Indictment of Madduwatta“), which portrays Attaršiya as a powerful Achaean figure aggressively operating in Western Anatolia.However, the most striking element is a Luwian poetic fragment at the tablet’s end, seemingly narrating the fall of Wiluša (Troy). This rhythmic verse, “In Luwian they speak of the destruction of steep (?) Wiluša: ‘Rage, goddess, sing…’,” b...