Gemerek

This partially damaged rectangular stele was brought to Sivas Museum in 2004 from the Hacıyusuf village of Gemerek township in Sivas province. It is broken into three adjoining pieces, altogether about 1.5 meters in height, while a certain section of the top is entirely missing. The stele was probably inscribed on all four sides. The front face was apparently effaced and inscribed with a Maltese cross in the Byzantine period, and all that remains from the original inscription is a couple of hieroglyphic signs at the bottom. Analysis suggests that the left, the entirely-missing back, and the right sides of the stele contained a single inscription, lines of which continued from one side to another. Readable sections of the text concern making sheep offerings. It is dated to the end of the 8th century BCE of the Neo-Hittite period Tabal kingdom.


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