Ortaköy (Šapinuva)

Šapinuva is about 3 km southwest of the Ortaköy town, which is 53 km southeast of the city of Çorum. During the empire period, it was one of the most important Hittite cities. Excavation at the site started in 1990 under a team headed by Aygül and Mustafa Süel of Ankara University. Among other artifacts, it has yielded an archive of about 4000 tablets dating to the early 14th century BCE. The ruins of the city is spread out over 9 km² and include many building foundations. Among the finds are some fragments of monumental Hieroglyphic Luwian inscriptions and orthostats. An orthostat with a broken top section was found at the entrance of the D-building. It shows a male figure with a bow on his shoulder, a quiver hanging from his belt, and a spear probably held by his broken right hand. The figure probably represents the Storm God. Some of the artifacts from continuing excavations are exhibited in the Çorum Museum.


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