Philological Treatment and Complete Digital Publication of Hittite Ritual Texts (CTH 390-500)

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Doris Prechel
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: from 2010 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 178728154

The text corpus of Hittite incantation rituals is preserved from the beginning of the written tradition in Hattusha (today Bogazkale, Turkey) in the middle of the 16th century BC to the beginning of the 12th century BC. Conceptually archived under the rubric SISKUR/SÍSKUR, the ritual texts constitute a corpus unique for the Late Bronze Age Middle East both in terms of its quantitative size as well as its highly diverse content, which, because of its particular chronological situation, is meaningful for the religious understanding of neighbouring cultures. The project pursues for the first time a complete edition of all Hittite ritual texts. The reconstruction of the surviving texts on the basis of thousands of cuneiform fragments and a determined digital publication of philological editions constitute the goals of this project. In terms of academic politics the project contributes to the international visibility of Hittitology in Germany. With regard to cultural heritage, already existing contacts with academic and scientific institutions in Turkey will be strengthened.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants