Travel Guide Kanes - Kültepe

The main center of trade with the Assyrians in the 19th century BC, Kaneş "hill of ashes" would remain an important Hittite center until the fall of the Empire in the 12th century BC. If you are interested in the archaeology of Anatolia, this site is a must see. During the second half of the 19th century, the first excavations on the site of Kültepe were clandestine. The tablets which were then sold on the market of Kayseri in 1881 held the attention of the researchers who quickly understood that they all come from the same site. The French carried out the first excavations in 1893, at a time when the term "Hittite" did not mean much, revealing precious clues such as the tablets in cuneiform writing on which the Hittites noted the results of their exchanges. It is deduced that this city was a hub of trade between the Assyrian colonies and the Hittite inhabitants in 2000 BC. Daily life in Kültepe, relationships and family affairs are also documented on these tablets. 22,000 tablets have been recorded. They can be found in the museums of Ankara and Kayseri.