Kululu Steles and Sculptures

Several steles, a large statue and some sculptured fragments were found near the village of Kululu in Kayseri province. They all belong to the Neo-Hittite period Tabal Kingdom and date to approximately the 8th century BCE. All of them are currently in the Kayseri Museum.
Kululu 1 stele was found in 1935 in a house. It is inscribed on three sides with a 6-line Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription. The author of the inscription is a person named Ruwa, who introduces himself as a servant of Tuwati. Tuwati (see also Çiftlik) is the father of Wasusarma (see Topada, Sivasa, Sultanhanı) and date to around the mid-8th century BCE.
Kululu 2 stele was found by Bossert in 1945 at Kululu. It has a Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription on three sides. It is a funerary stele for a man named Panuni and dated to the mid-8th cent BCE.
Kululu 3 stele was found by Tahsin Özgüç, built into a house wall in Kululu in 1967. It is a round-topped, limestone stele with 4 lines of inscriptions on front and left side.
Kululu 4 stele was found and published by Mustafa Kalaç in 1983. It is only the top part of a stele inscribed on all sides. It is a funerary stele for Ruwa, the same author as Kululu 1. Thus, it has been dated to the reign of Tuwati in the mid-8th century BCE.
Kululu 5 stele was purchased by the Kayseri Museum from a villager of Kululu in 1977. It has an 8-line inscription on three sides. It is a dedication for building some houses. The text shows similarities to Çiftlik and Kululu 2 steles. Dates to the 8th century BCE.


Click on the pictures for larger images.

Kululu 1 and 2

   

Kululu 3 and 4
   

Kululu 5–8 and fragments
               

Sculptured parts