A Hittite Seal Found in Ortaköy

Abstract

As a result of the cooperation of Ortaköy/Şapinuva Head of Excavation, Çorum Museum Directorate Department, and Çorum Police Department, a hemispheroid Hittite seal made of bronze was introduced to the scientific world. Hemispheroid stamp seals produced from the metal are known with few examples in Anatolian archaeology. There are various opinions on the dating of hemispheroid seals, which began to appear in the transition period from the late 15^th century BC to the 14^th century BC. The contexts in which the finds were recovered, the hieroglyphic signs and ornament motifs on them were used as dating criteria for the seals. The Ortaköy seal parallels other hemispheroid seal samples produced from the metal in dating and ornamental motifs. The name and title of the seal owner are read with hieroglyphic signs on both the convex and base part of the seal, which has a stirrup-shaped handle. The ornaments on the bands on the seal include the name and title of the seal owner, as well as floral and symbolic motifs. The use of the seal owner’s name and title as an ornament motif on the bands is not seen in other hemispheroid seal samples. Within the borders of Ortaköy district, where the seal was captured, is the city of Sapinuva, which has been excavated since 1990 and served as the capital of the Hittite Empire in the first half of the 14^th century BC. The seal also parallels the dating of the Hittite period archaeological findings and written documents found in Şapinuva. This article focuses on reading the hieroglyphic signs on the seal and determining the date and place of production of the seal.