The land of the Hittites : $b An account of recent explorations and discoveries in Asia Minor, with descriptions of the Hittite monumentsGarstang, John
History
The land of the Hittites : $b An account of recent explorations and discoveries in Asia Minor, with descriptions of the Hittite monuments
Garstang, John
Hittites; Turkey -- Antiquities
The other site, about equally distant from the Halys, but considerably
to the west, is Suasa, on the head-waters of the stream which enters the
Halys just above Karaburna. Here, on a cubical block of stone, similar
to many hundreds fallen from the cliff, there has been found[341] an
inscription, incised on the front and back. The exposed part of the
stone is rather more than three feet wide. The record of the monument is
insufficient to let us assign much importance to its apparent intrinsic
details, such as the possible appearance of a winged animal and a fish
among the hieroglyphs. That which concerns us most, as in the former
case, is the unquestionably Hittite nature of the monument, and the
place where it is found. If we are to regard these isolated monuments as
general evidence of Hittite routes, we may see in this one the suggestion
of a road from Akserai (_Archelais_) direct to Karaburna, connecting
on the one hand with Ardistama or with Konia, and on the other with
Boghaz-Keui by a southern branch of the royal road.[342]
Karaburna lies on the north bank of the Halys river.[343] Just behind
the village a steep hill rises about four hundred feet, and is crowned
with an ancient fortress. On two sides the wall of rock forms a
sufficient defence, but on the west, and particularly on the north,
this is more broken, and is supplemented by an artificial wall of rough
stone work.[344] In the east side there is a sort of gateway, and below
there is an underground passage leading probably to a well.[345] On a
shelf of rock to the left of this entrance there is a lengthy Hittite
inscription.[346] The surface of the rock is not very smooth, and it was
found both worn and covered with lichen. None the less the discoverer
brought back good copies of the inscription, which is important both
intrinsically and topographically. The hieroglyphs are incised, and are
arranged in three rows with border and dividing lines. They seem to have
filled a space rather more than five feet long and just less than two
feet wide. The inscription, as translated by Professor Sayce, refers
chiefly to the building of the fortification and the towers thereof;
there is also a remarkable suggestion that the district was subject to
or part of Tyana. If we may make an inference therefrom, it is that the
inscription belongs to a time when Tyana had superseded Pteria as the
Hittite capital, and when Greater Cilicia had taken the place of northern
Cappadocia as the most important Hittite state.
[Illustration: PLATE XLVIII
BOGCHE: HITTITE INSCRIPTION INCISED ON FOUR SIDES OF A ROUND-TOPPED STONE
(_See p. 155._)]
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