AssetID: 53214510
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Archaeologists Uncover Unknown Ancient Language in Ruins of Hittite Empire
Caption: Archaeologists Uncover Unknown Ancient Language in Ruins of Hittite Empire. 'The Independent' reports that archaeologists in the Middle East have uncovered how an ancient civilization once used a previously undiscovered language. The discovery sheds light on how early empires functioned and how language was used to promote political stability and multiculturalism. Excavations in Turkey uncovered ruins from the ancient capital of the Hittite empire. The discovery has revealed evidence that the city dedicated entire departments to researching the religions of people subjugated by the empire. Around the 2nd millennium B.C., civil servants recorded religious liturgies and other traditions to preserve and incorporate them into the empire's religious system. According to modern experts, the Hittites recorded religious documents originating from at least five different ethnic groups. 'The Independent' reports that the latest unearthed evidence was written in a language thought to be lost for the last 3,000 years. The language recently discovered has been named Kalasmaic, as it was spoken by people living in the Kalasma region. Approximately 30,000 complete or fragmentary clay tablets have been unearthed in the ancient ruins of Hattussa, which once served as the Hittite capital. Documents found in the ruins, located about 90 miles east of Ankara, were written in languages of minority ethnic groups within the empire. Those groups included the Luwians, Palaians, Hattians and Hurrians. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Archaeologists,Uncover,Unknown,Ancient,Language,Ruins,Hittite,Empire,Civilization,History,Middle East,Multiculturalism,Discovery,Offbeat,Luwians,Palaians,Hattians,Hurrians,Kalasma,Hattussa
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