New language identified on Hittite tablets

[DBS]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/ancient-language-discovered-turkey-hattusa-b2447085.html

Interesting, but unfortunate that modern political obsession with "multiculturalism" has been allowed to gloss the finds, as I am not sure that Bronze Age people could be said to buy into the concept to put it mildly...

[Andreas Johansson]

Language Log had a more scholarly piece on it back in September:

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=60750

[DBS]

Language Log had a more scholarly piece on it back in September:

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=60750

The most interesting bit is in the Comments - I knew that the Hittite archives preserved several languages, but was not fully aware that the religious ritual tablets instructed the priests on what to say in foreign languages. 

So, far from being a 21st C desire for multiculturalism, the Hittites, as with most Bronze Age civilisations in the Near East, are of course kidnapping the gods of cities they conquer.  However, perhaps because they realise all this kidnapping might irritate the gods, never a good thing, they are keen to try to make them feel comfortable in Hattusa by talking to them in their native languages and preserving their longstanding rituals...