An ancient "urban sales agreement" from 3,800 years ago discovered at Aççana Höyük

The disaster that caused significant destruction in the city and originated from Kahramanmaraş, centered on February 6th, also affected the mound in the Reyhanlı district, which is identified as the site of the capital city Alalah of the Mukiş Kingdom during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. Repair and conservation work led by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism were initiated in the mound where earthquake-induced damage occurred in certain sections of the palace walls' remnants. The operations led by a team of 25 individuals, headed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Akar, Chair of the Protohistory and Near Eastern Archaeology Department at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, not only contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage but also led to the discovery of new findings shedding light on the past. During the excavation, the team removing debris found a clay tablet with cuneiform writing among the remains. In the initial analysis of the tablet written in Akkadian, information was identified regarding an agreement made by Yarim-Lim, the first known king of Alalah, to purchase another city. 'It was very exciting for it to come out intact.' In the initial analysis of the tablet written in Akkadian, information was identified regarding an agreement made by Yarim-Lim, the first known king of Alalah, to purchase another city. 'It was very exciting for it to come out intact.' 'It was very exciting for it to come out intact.' Dr. Murat Akar, the excavation director, stated that this year's focus during the season's excavation at Aççana Mound was on repair and conservation efforts. Akar emphasized that the tablet found among the remains, dating back 3,800 years, was in good condition. He said, 'It was very exciting for us to find a tablet that had never been touched, completely intact, while removing the debris of a few collapsed walls at the mound.' Akar noted that the artifact's historical significance extended to the Middle Bronze Age, stating: 'During the period we define as the Middle Bronze Age, we can see that the kings of this region had economic power. Surprising examples reflecting this are found in written documents. In this tablet, we see that Yarim-Lim, the first known king of Alalah, wanted to buy another city and made an agreement through this means. This actually shows us that the kings in this region had the economic power and potential to acquire another city.'