The publication of Maşat Höyük II soon after Maşat Höyük I completes the detailed account of the excavation of the palace and citadel of this important site and includes an appendix on the 1981 season which was only concluded while this volume was being published. Since the chance find of a tablet by a school teacher in 1943, now well-known as the Maşat letter, the archaeological and historical potential of the site was quickly recognised by the Turkish Historical Society and it has been particularly fortunate that Professor Özgüç has conducted excavations here since 1973.

Maşat Höyük (ancient Tapigga) has been excavated since 1973 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Tahsin Özgüç. I have been a member of the expedition since 1975 and would like to express my thanks to Professor Özgüç for permitting me to study and publish the Early Bronze Age material which is well represented at Maşat Höyük with diverse remains. The primary aim of Tahsin Özgüç is to expose the complete layout of the Hittite palace discovered at Maşat Höyük; the Hittite and the Early Brone Age settlements in the lower city will be studied subsequently. The excavations revealed that on the ruins of the Hittite palace, built on the summit of the hill, there were two Hittite building levels and three Iron Age building levels, which were studied carefully in order to preserve the palace in its original state. As Tahsin Özgüç reported, in the process of laying the deep foundations of the palace which represents the third Hittite building level at the citadel, the Early Bronze Age buildings below had been demolished and destroyed. However, isolated fragments of Early Bronze Age buildings appear below the floor level of the courtyard and of the northern colonnade of this extensive building. In the north - western section of the mound, which is outside the palace com.plex, the latest building level of the Early Bronze Age appeared as the first `cultural' level. Apparently some areas on the citadel were left free of construction during the Hittite period and the Iron Age.

Türk Tarih Kurumu adına Prof. Tahsin Özgüç'ün başkanlığında 1973-1977 yıllarında Maşat - Höyük'te yürütülen kazılarda keşfedilen tabletler Hitit Çağının şahıs ve yer adları malzemesini sevinilecek bir biçimde arttırmaktadır. Bu metinlerde geçen bir sıra yer adı yukarı Yeşilırmak bölgesinin coğrafyası hakkında önemli ip uçları vermektedir. DU-bêlî adındaki bir görevli tarafından Hitit Büyük Kralına gönderilen bir mektup Maşat - Höyük'e yakın bölgenin Hitit Çağındaki coğrafyası hakkında önemli bilgiler kazanmamıza yardım etmektedir. Bu mektubun transkripsiyon ve tercümesini burada sunuyorum :