Exploring the Depths

A central issue in the study of Hittite landscape monuments lies in the difficulty of connecting textual references with extant archaeological remains. This article examines the KARAKUYU inscription, attributed to the reign of Tutḫaliya IV, with a focus on the compound hieroglyphic form TONITRUS.PURUS.L.417(4). By integrating Anatolian hieroglyphic data with Hittite cuneiform terminology related to sacred spaces, the study explores the possibility that this form refers to a cultic location conceptually aligned with the ḫateššar. In doing so, it proposes a new interpretation of L.417(4) as an ideographic expression of a liminal, ritual space.