Tarkasnawa



Tarkasnawa was ruler of the Kingdom of Mira, and one of the last independent kings of Arzawa, a Bronze Age confederation of kingdoms in western Anatolia. He was probably the son of King Alantalli, and a contemporary of the later king Tudḫaliya IV.

Tarkasnawa appears in the Karabel relief, where his name is inscribed in Luwian hieroglyphs. The inscription, next to the figure of the king, reads:

"(King) Tarkasnawa, king of Mira, [son] of BIRD-li(?), king of the land Mira, grandson of [ ... ], king of the land Mir."

He is also known from various seals, one of them in which his name was formerly read "Tarkondemos". This is a bilingual seal, combining a cuneiform inscription on the rim and the corresponding Hittite hieroglyphs around the figure in royal dress, giving the name of the ruler: Tarkasnawa. This bilingual inscription provided the first clues for deciphering Hittite hieroglyphs.