A lost Hittite inscription has revealed new evidence about a king who ruled the ancient city of Karkemish before Assyria’s conquest. A fresh examination of the inscription suggests that scholars had linked it to the wrong ruler for decades. The findings also offer rare evidence of Assyrian influence on a Neo-Hittite kingdom during the eighth century B.C.
The research, led by Gianni Marchesi of the University of Bologna, appears in the 2026 publication Karkemish of the Hittites on the Euphrates: New Discoveries and New Acquisitions.
Lost inscription identifies a different Hittite king
British archaeologists first uncovered the inscription during excavations at Karkemish in 1911 and 1912. They discovered 10 pieces of basalt bearing cuneiform writing near the city’s Water Gate. All 10 fragments eventually disappeared from the archaeological record. However, researchers had preserved photographs of paper impressions made from the original inscriptions.
In 2012, archaeologists working with a Turkish-Italian expedition identified one of the missing fragments in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The rediscovery encouraged scholars to reconsider an interpretation that had stood for decades.
Earlier studies attributed the inscription to a Luwian ruler known as Astuwalamanza, previously identified as Asatuwatemais. Scholars believed the fragments belonged to a monument connected to a lion statue carrying an inscription in Luwian hieroglyphs.
Marchesi’s examination challenges that connection. He found that the cuneiform inscription and the hieroglyphic text came from separate monuments. Instead, the surviving evidence strongly suggests that the inscription belonged to Astiru II, the second-to-last Neo-Hittite king of Karkemish, who ruled before 738 B.C. The king’s name appears partially preserved on one fragment. Another contains a reference identifying him as the “king of Karkemish.”
Ancient writing reveals Assyrian influence
The inscription also provides clues about the relationship between Karkemish and the expanding Assyrian Empire. According to Marchesi, no other monumental cuneiform inscriptions issued by Neo-Hittite rulers are known. This makes the surviving fragments particularly important for understanding the region’s political and cultural history.
A Hittite inscription, misattributed for decades, has now been linked to King Astiru II of Karkemish. The findings offer a rare glimpse into how Assyrian influence shaped a kingdom before its conquest. pic.twitter.com/N7bgvR1UWK
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) November 13, 2026
The inscription’s use of cuneiform is unusual because Neo-Hittite rulers commonly used Luwian hieroglyphs for royal monuments. Researchers have also used artificial intelligence to study ancient Hittite handwriting, helping identify differences between individual scribes. Marchesi suggests that Astiru II’s decision to use cuneiform reflected growing Assyrian influence during the eighth century B.C.
At the time, Karkemish was probably an Assyrian vassal state that paid tribute to the empire. Archaeological research at Nimrud, an ancient Assyrian capital, has also revealed new evidence about urban life during the empire’s expansion. The writing itself points to a mixture of traditions. Its spelling of Karkemish follows an Assyrian form, while the shape of another sign reflects an older Hittite writing tradition.
Surviving fragment preserves the name of a goddess
The only surviving stone fragment measures 15.5 centimeters long and 12 centimeters wide. It dates to the middle of the eighth century B.C. Despite its small size, it preserves two cuneiform signs that Marchesi identifies as the beginning of the phrase “queen of Karkemish.”
The title refers to Kubaba, the city’s patron goddess, who held an important place in its religious traditions. Other discoveries show how important religious monuments were to Assyrian cities. Excavations at the ancient Temple of Ninurta in Nimrud uncovered royal inscriptions and religious objects that offer further evidence of Assyrian religious practices.
Most of the original Karkemish text remains impossible to reconstruct. Nine fragments are still missing, and the surviving photographs preserve only disconnected sections. The findings therefore do not reveal a complete account of Astiru II’s reign. They do, however, correct a longstanding identification and provide rare evidence of how a Neo-Hittite king adopted a writing system associated with Assyrian power while preserving elements of his kingdom’s older traditions.
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