Kululu Steles and Sculptures Several steles, a large statue and some sculptured fragments were found near the village of Kululu in Kayseri province. They all belong to the Neo-Hittite period Tabal Kingdom and date to approximately the 8th century BCE. All of them are currently in the Kayseri Museum. Kululu 1 stele was found in 1935 in a house. It is inscribed on three sides with a 6-line Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription. The author of the inscription is a person named Ruwa, who introduces himself as a servant of Tuwati. Tuwati (see also Çiftlik) is the father of Wasusarma (see Topada, Sivasa, Sultanhanı) and date to around the mid-8th century BCE. Kululu 2 stele was found by Bossert in 1945 at Kululu. It has a Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription on three sides. It is a funerary stele for a prince named Panuni and dated to the mid-8th cent BCE. Kululu 3 stele was found by Tahsin Özgüç, built into a house wall in Kululu in 1967. It is a round-topped, limestone stele with 4 lines of inscriptions on front and left side. Kululu 4 stele was found and published by Mustafa Kalaç in 1983. It is only the top part of a stele inscribed on all sides. It is a funerary stele for Ruwa, the same author as Kululu 1. Thus, it has been dated to the reign of Tuwati in the mid-8th century BCE. Kululu 5 stele was purchased by the Kayseri Museum from a villager of Kululu in 1977. It has an 8-line inscription on three sides. It is a dedication for building some houses. The text shows similarities to Çiftlik and Kululu 2 steles. Dates to the 8th century BCE. Click on the pictures for larger images.

Kululu 1 Kululu 2

Kululu 3 Kululu 4

Kululu 5 Kululu 6 Kululu 7 Kululu 8 Inscribed fragments

Sculptured parts

Literature:
Hawkins, J. D. Corpus of Hieroglyphic Luwian Inscriptions, Vol 1, Berlin, 2000: 442–47, 485–92, 500–2 and plts. 244–47, 270–73, 283–85.
Kalaç, M. "Kayseri Müzesinde Bulunan Kululu (XII) Steli [Die hieroglyphische Stele aus Kululu (XII) im Kayseri Museum]," AnAr 9, 1983: 167–70. (Kululu 4)
Kalaç, M. "Die Stele aus Kululu (XIII)," AnAr 10, 1986: 359–66. (Kululu 5)
Özgüç, T. Demir devrinde Kültepe ve civarı, Ankara, 1971 (32–64 and plts. XXXV–XLVIII).
Özgüç, T. "Kululu hakkında yeni gözlemler," Anadolu 17, 1975: 1–30 ve lev. I–XXI.
Özgüç, T. "Kululu’da yeni bulunmuş bir sfenks başı ve yazıt parçası," FsÇambel, 1998: 615–18.
Payne, A. Iron Age Hieroglyphic Luwian Inscriptions, Atlanta, 2012: 50-52, 87–88.
(List of Abbreviations)

Image sources:
Tayfun Bilgin, 2006.
Cüneyt Süer, 2011.
Ertuğrul Anıl, 2011, 2020.
Kurt Bittel, Die Hethiter, München, 1976.
J. David Hawkins, 2000.
Tahsin Özgüç, 1971, 1975.

The translation of Kululu 1 stele:
I (am) Ruwas, Tuwatis's servant.
These hauses were demolished for (by) Sahizi (?).
I built them,
and I made them hauses,
and I myself set up this Tarhunzas of the Aratali,
and I shall offer him every year with one ox (and) three sheep.
(He) who shall demand these houses from Tuwatis
or the Amata
or the Lahi(zi)(?)
or the vineyard of vine(s),
whoever he (be),
for him may Tarhunzas of the Aratali cause to ... ... his Aratali!
May the Hasami dog of Kubaba, the Amura of Tuwatis, "make after" him,
may it eat up his Hasami Paratami and his (own) person!
But for Tuwatis may these gods come well,
and let not give it to anyone (else)!
But when I myself shall go away in the presence of the gods by the justice of Tuwatis,
these houses (shall be) here.

The translation of Kululu 2 stele:
I (am) Panunis the Sun-blessed prince.
For me my children made here a sealed(?) document(?).
On my bed(s) eating (and) drinking(?) ... by the god Santas I died.
and the Kawari's Zarumata-ed me (or: and they Zaruma-ed the Kawari's for me).
(He) who shall disturb me,
whether he (be) a great man,
or he (be) a [little?] man,
or whatsoever man he (be),
for him may Santas's marwainzi-gods attack the memorial,
and for him may they set their seal his house!

The translation of Kululu 3 stele:
I (am) Ilasis, the Ruler, the Scribe.
By my justice my [...] I ...-ed.
To me my children ga[ve](?) ... .
and to me(?) [go]od(?) bread [...
...
...] I went away,
(My) children had this stele set up for me.
(He) who removes this stele,
...