TÜRKÇE
Orthostats from the East Wing of the Gatehouse
The basalt orthostat fragments belong to the east wing of the Gatehouse entrance at the top of the Great Staircase. Their full height was around 1.2 meters. The first two reliefs show a four-winged genius and a ruler. The backgrounds of these orthostats have an 8-line Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription (KARKAMIŠ A21b+a), which is written by a "son of Sastura," possibly Astiru II, whose name appears on some of the small fragments that might be restored to the beginning of the inscription on its right side. Several other small inscribed fragments are suspected to be parts of this orthostat group. Another orthostat fragment with an inscription (KARKAMIŠ A26f) on two perpendicular surfaces apparently belongs to a corner block. On its wide face there is the remnant of another male figure. They are dated to the mid-8th century BCE. Larger pieces are in the British Museum, and a few others are in the inventory of the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara. The whereabouts of some of the small fragments are unknown.
