Observations on the Chronological Problems of the Karum Kanus (Kanis Karum'unun Kronoloji Problemleri Hakkinda Musahedeler. Türk Tarih Kuruku Yayinlarindan VII. Seri - No. 28)
Ankara: Türk Tarih Kuruku, 1955. First edition. Softcover. 8vo. 101 pp. + 6 plates containing 12 b/w facsimile photographs of striking archaological artifacs. Green paper wrappers. The contents of this book were originally prepared for publication in Belleten, the Review of the Turkish Historical Society, however, the Turkish and Englih versions together exceeded the amount of space allowed for such articles. In this booklet, the tablets excavated in Kültepe by this society between 1948 - 1954. Kültepe is the name of the modern village near the ancient city of Kane in central eastern Anatolia. Kültepe has been successfully excavated by the late Professor Tahsin Özgüç since 1948 until his death in 2005. The findings have included enormous numbers of baked clay tablets, some that were enclosed in clay envelopes stamped using cylinder seals. The documents record common activities such as trade and legal arrangements. These Kültepe texts are the oldest written documents from Anatolia. Although they are written in Old Assyrian, the Hittite loanwords and names in these texts are the oldest record of any Indo-European language. This was the personal copy of John Briggs Curtis, the well-known scholar as indicated by stamp on front endpaper. Includes section in Turkish and in English. Sunning to wrappers, otherwise book is in very good condition. vg. Item #19137
Price: $125.00