Turkish historian identifies Oghuz Turkic inscription on artifact in Kazakhstan

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hayrettin İhsan Erkoç, a faculty member of the Department of General Turkish History at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ), has determined that a stone artifact exhibited in a museum in Kazakhstan—previously unexamined—contains an inscription belonging to the Oghuz Turks.

Erkoç, who continues his studies on ancient Turkish history, particularly the Göktürks and Turkish communities of that period, visited a local museum located in a middle school in the village of Orangay, near the city of Turkistan in Kazakhstan, in August. The visit took place under the guidance of Ahmet Yesevi University Turkology Department student Alparslan Kavaklı, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Erkoç noticed a one-line inscription and a stamp-like symbol on one of the artifacts in the museum. After conducting an extensive literature review, he determined that the inscription had not previously been the subject of any academic study.

With support from other experts, Erkoç identified the text on the artifact as being written in “Oghuz Turkic.”

“When we asked what it was, they said ‘we don’t know’”

Speaking to an Anadolu Agency reporter, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erkoç said that during his trip to Kazakhstan, he visited Kültepe—an old Oghuz settlement near the city of Turkistan—upon the recommendation of a colleague.

He explained that artifacts found by villagers are kept under protection in a local museum inside the village school, which he also had the opportunity to visit:

“First, we toured the settlement area, but not much remains on the surface. Then, in the museum, I encountered an artifact. They had sent the finds to universities in Kazakhstan for analysis. Most of them are dated, and they mainly consist of pottery. However, a white limestone object was sitting on a table. There was no information plaque. It caught our attention. When we examined it, we saw Göktürk or Old Turkic script on it. When we asked what it was, they said, ‘we don’t know.’”

Erkoç said he photographed the inscription and consulted colleagues in Kazakhstan, who told him that similar short inscriptions had been found nearby in the past and are now preserved in museums in Almaty and Astana. This particular artifact had been sent to the city of Turkistan for analysis, but no conclusions were reached and no academic publication was produced.

Erkoç noted that existing literature claims Oghuz Turkic was not a written language before the 13th century:

“It is stated that Oghuz Turkic became a written language during the late Anatolian Seljuk period and the Second Beyliks period, with the adoption of the Arabic script. This artifact proves that Oghuz Turkic was also a written language before Islam, using the ‘Turkic runic’ script—also known as Göktürk or Orkhon script—used by the Göktürks and Uighurs.”

“We had great difficulty reading the inscription”

Erkoç explained that reading the inscription was challenging:

“It is very short. We couldn’t find the equivalent of one letter anywhere and had to make an educated guess. At this stage, we received support from Prof. Dr. Erhan Aydın, an expert in Old Turkic inscriptions. According to our interpretation, it may read something like ‘servant of the Khazar khan,’ but we are not 100 percent certain. There are some problems. We proposed one letter based on estimation. Other readings are possible, but they do not produce much meaning. The most meaningful reading is ‘Kazar Kan Kul,’ meaning ‘the Khazar Khan’s servant.’ If this is correct, it may indicate relations between the Oghuz and their western neighbors, the Khazars.”

Erkoç stated that the inscription was reportedly found at the Kültepe settlement about 30 years ago:

“It may have been written by an Oghuz individual who traveled to and from the Khazar State, but we do not yet know for what purpose it was written or where it was originally placed.”

“We pushed back the date of Oghuz Turkic as a written language by several centuries”

Erkoç said that the article based on his research has been published in a peer-reviewed journal and has attracted more interest than he expected.

“We have both revealed a new artifact related to the cultural history of the Oghuz and pushed the date of Oghuz Turkic as a written language back by several centuries,” he said. “We also suggested that other Turkic inscriptions found in that region may belong to the Oghuz. These inscriptions have been published since the 1960s but were not previously associated with the Oghuz Turks. Islamic geographical sources tell us that this region is Oghuz territory. In this way, we introduced an artifact belonging to the Oghuz.”

As reported by CE Report, Erkoç added that there is also a stamp (tamga) beneath the inscription, which they believe resembles the tamga used by three Oghuz tribes, or possibly represents the small stream flowing near the settlement.