Hieorglyphic Luwian

language

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July 16, 2026

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Luwian is an extinct Anatolian language spoken in southern Anatolia and Syria. It is preserved in two forms: Cuneiform Luwian, found in Hittite archives, and Hieroglyphic Luwian, which used a script developed in Anatolia. While closely related, these represent distinct dialects of the same language. Hieroglyphic Luwian texts, primarily monumental inscriptions, date from around 1300 to 700 BCE and are found in Syria and south-central Anatolia. The decipherment of Hieroglyphic Luwian was significantly aided by bilingual inscriptions, such as the one found at Karatepe.12

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Luwian language
The earliest attested use of Hieroglyphic Luwian is the written form of names and titles on personal seals in the Old Hittite period (1650–1580 bce), but the first actual texts appear only in the New Empire and are exclusively Luwian. That the hieroglyphs were invented in Anatolia during the 2nd…
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The earliest attested use of Hieroglyphic Luwian is the written form of names and titles on personal seals in the Old Hittite period (1650–1580 bce), but the first actual texts appear only in the New Empire and are exclusively Luwian. That the hieroglyphs were invented in Anatolia during the 2nd…
Read More