Willemijn Waal Libros

In the Hittite capital Ḫattuša, approximately 25,000 tablets and fragments have been unearthed, forming part of the state archives of the Hittite Empire (ca. 1650–1180 BCE). These tablets encompass a variety of texts, including religious, legal, historical, literary, and administrative documents. This study employs the research methods of diplomatics to analyze these clay tablets, focusing on their physical characteristics and documentary form. The first six chapters provide a diachronic and synchronic analysis of aspects such as size, shape, and layout, revealing that conventions regarding their appearance were influenced by text type and the period of composition. The seventh chapter explores Hittite terminology related to writing materials, while the eighth chapter centers on the colophon, an intrinsic element of documentary form. The distribution of colophons varies significantly among text genres, with some consistently featuring them and others lacking them altogether. Additionally, chronological developments within the colophons are identified. As no complete edition exists, transliterations and translations of this corpus are included in the appendices. The final chapter reconstructs the record management and organization of the Hittite tablet collections, providing insights into their archival practices.