Hititçe metinlerde nadiren adına rastladığımız ama aslında stratejik olarak anahtar bir rol oynayan "KUR IDHulana-": Hulana Nehri Memleketi'nin lokalizasyonuna yönelik birkaç teklif bulunmaktadır. Bir taraftan Hitit Devleti'nin kuzeyinde Pala-Tumana Bölgesi ve Kaška Bölgesi'ne lokalize edilen bazı yerleşimlerle birlikte anılması ama diğer taraftan nehrin doğduğu dağın Aşağı Ülke'ye yerleştirilmesi, lokalizasyonu oldukça güçleştirmektedir. Hem bir akarsu hem de bu akarsuyun vadisinde ya da kıyısında kurulmuş olan bir şehre ve ülkeye işaret eden bu yerleşim, Hititçe metinlerden bildiğimiz Huwatnuwanta Dağı ile birlikte anılmaktadır. Hititlerin Baş Tanrısı Fırtına Tanrısı ile de yakından bağlantılı olan bu dağ, kutsal bir dağ görünümündedir. Dolayısıyla hem Huwatnuwanta Dağı hem de Hulana Nehri Memleketi'nin lokalizasyonuna yönelik yapılacak olan bu çalışma bölgenin tarihi coğrafyası açısından da önem taşımaktadır. Çalışmada adı geçen yerleşim isminin etimolojisi incelenerek bazı yeni yorumlar yapılacaktır. Ayrıca Hititçe metin yerlerinde bu nehir ülkesinin geçtiği pasajlar yeniden gözden geçirilecek, daha önce yapılmış olan teklifler de göz önünde bulundurularak, bazı yeni öneriler paylaşılacaktır.

C'etait en 1951, en compagnie de M.Eugene Dalleggio je faisais un voyage d'etude dans la region d'Ereğli. Lorsque nous avons penetre dans l'etroite gorge d'Ambarderesi deux choses nous preoccupaient: visiter et etudier les ruines byzantines dites Kızlarsarayı et denicher au bas du ravin le relief hittite qui, selon les specialistes doit etre une replique de celui qui orne la source d'İvrizsuyu. Il etait fort passionnant de trouver dans un endroit si difficilement accessible, dans ce ravin sombre et oublie, cote a cote, les souvenirs de deux civilisations anatoliennes disparues. Ici aussi comme ailleurs sur la fameuse stele d'Egrek (Agrak) Byzance s'etait greffe a l'Hittite.

During the 1987 campaign of the excavations at Samsat Höyük, the largest settlement in the lower Euphrates basin, conducted by Professor Dr. Nimet Özgüç in the framework of the archaelogical salvage project, a hieroglyphic seal impression has been found, which added a new document to the relatively poor repertory of written material of this important mound.

L'article de J.D. HAWKINS, A. MORPURGO-DAVIES et G. NEUMANN publie en 1974 (cf [4] de la bibliographie in fine) a mis en evidence la necessite d'un profond re-examen du dechiffrement de l'ecriture hittite hieroglyphique. Comme le soulignent en particulier les auteurs de cet article, "it is apparent that the process of decipherment cannot yet be considered as completed... Often there is no agreement about the vocalic value of the consonantal signs; is it possible to attribute to some signs a double or even triple vocalization or should we assume that normally each sign has only one vocalization?... All to often it remains unclear whether the uneveness depends on a lack of systematic organization in the script itself or on the inadequacy of the modern decipherment..".

La presente etude fait suite a un article sur l'inscription de Karatepe, publie dans cette revue en 1985 (cf bibliographie in fine), lequel nous a attire les critiques parfois acerbes de plusieurs hittitologues. Nous tenons a reconnaître que l'une de ces critiques est fondee. Notre mefiance a l'egard des souvent illusoires scriptiones plenae nous a entraine trop loin et fait rejeter a tort, pour certains ideogrammes, des lectures bien etablies.

The first fragment (g/t 42) of the tablet (Kt. g/t 42+z/t 11), which is to be the subject of study here was found in the palace of Warsama during the excavations of 1955 at Kültepe. This fragment together with the other two tablets (g/t 36, h/t 330), found also at the same place, was published by E. Bilgiç in the Anatolia VIII (1965) under the title "Kültepe Hüyüğünde Çıkan Üç Tablet".

In 1978 I published some information on the cemetery at Ferzant-Büget. These are two large villages not far apart. I commented that the Hittite cemeteries in this area did not cover much ground. These cemeteries were located at convenient, scattered places in groups of some 40-60 tombs. My further inquiries revealed that there had been a Hittite cemetery at Büget, as there was at Ferzant. Whatever pottery emerged complete from the tombs was dispersed to museums and private collections. We know nothing about metal,stone or bone objects from the tombs. Ferzant, now named Konaklı, is 35 km. Northeast of Çorum Ca. 500 m. West of the main road Çorum-Merzifon-Samsun, it is set on a high limestone ridge. To the West of the road, a fertile plain is bordered on the North and West by rocky hills and ridges.

Malgré les efforts de plusieurs générations de savants, le déchiffrement du "hittite hiéroglyphique" conserve encore aujourd'hui un irritant caractére d'"inachevé". L'incertitude semble régner sur plusieurs valeurs phonétiques (n'a-t-on pas vu récemment trois spécialistes éminents remettre en cause les valeurs a et i de deux des signes les plus fréquents?!.. Cf[8] de la bibliographie in fine) -- les savants se disputent sur le vocalisme des signes syllabiques, l'un lisant me ou mi ce que l'autre lit mu -- ou ils ne peuvent se mettre d'accord sur les raisons de l'homophonie...

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.