Archaeologists discovered a 3,500-year-old tablet during excavations in Türkiye's Hatay province, the culture and tourism minister said Tuesday.
Minister Mehmet Akif Ersoy said the tablet was found at Aççana Höyük, also known as Old Alalah, in the Reyhanlı district of Hatay.
"According to the first readings, the Akkadian cuneiform tablet dating back to the 15th century B.C. contains records of a significant amount of furniture transactions,” Ersoy said on X.
The tablet weighs 28 grams, he said, believing that it will provide a new perspective on the Late Bronze Age's economic structure and governmental system.
Associate Professor Jacob Lauinger and doctoral student Zeynep Türker from Johns Hopkins University are examining the tablet that measures 4.2 by 3.5 centimeters, has a thickness of 1.6 centimeters, and weighs 27.85 grams.
Linguists are continuing to research the artifact's initial lines, which record significant purchases of wooden tables, chairs, and stools, as well as who bought or received them.
