The sender of this message inquired about certain results of bird oracles, quoted in the first part of the tablet (obv. 1-9). The topic of this unconventional letter (see Tafeleigenschaften) and the reason for the oracle inquiry is fear for the life of a little girl who was struck by a fever. After the detailed report, the sender offers neither a positive nor a negative interpretation, as is usually found in such texts — perhaps because the observation was made by others and he is merely reporting it, or because a third opinion is being requested through the letter.

It appears that the sender is waiting for the return of some augurs to obtain a response, as these are currently away, travelling to Ašramma (obv. 11). Nonetheless, while he is waiting, the sender would be eager to have confirmation from the addressee that there is nothing to fear on the basis of the aforementioned report (obv. 16, uddanaz appezziyaz). The sense of anxiety emerging from the text might suggest that it is the sender’s own young daughter who is in danger, unless it is the daughter of someone important on whose behalf he is writing.

• A. Trameri, StBoT 73, 2025: 327f.
• E. Rieken, FsFreydank, 2019: 265-273
• E. Rieken, MDOG 146, 2014: 51

Rieken E. 2019e, 265-273, with photographs and handcopy.

Details on the archaeological context are provided by Müller-Karpe, A. – Müller-Karpe, V. (apud Rieken E. 2019a, 12). The tablet was found on 7/8/2014 at Kayalıpınar-Šamuḫa in a superficial layer, in front of the southern outer wall of building D or the corresponding building in the previous phase.Autography: E. Rieken (DAAM 1).

Small squared tablet (ca. 3 x 3.4 x 1.1 cm). The abrupt incipit, without address formula, is uncommon for a conventional letter and also for this reason the full context of this message remains unclear. A particular feature of the tablet might be of interest in this respect: it features a passing circular hole in the center, which is not accidental (previous discussion in Rieken E. 2019e, 270). A similar feature is visible in a few other early oracle texts, such as KUB 32.130 (MS), a peculiar landscape format small tablet. The other example is KBo 31.32, a tiny tablette. Many such short messages could be brought by the same carrier in a bundle, for example with the aid of a rope to hold them together (see Rieken E. 2019e, 271). Otherwise, it is possible that a similar report could also be an “attachment” to a conventional letter, thus the message delivered consisted in more than one tablet.

MS (mh.); diagnostic signs (AL), DA, LI, (ŠA), (URU).

Some formulations in the oracular report differ from the standardized formulary of the later bird oracle texts. We find here some unconventional combinations of movements (e.g. obv. 2) and details on the position of the birds and their movements within the landscape, which is also characteristics of other Hittite bird oracles of early date (obv. 2: “Up from the river, ...”; obv. 7-8: “An ālliya- bird, which (was) across the mountain...”).