Turkey's Culture Ministry says a cuneiform fragment excavated in 2025 at Hattusha belongs to an Akkadian copy of the Egypt–Hittite peace treaty. Its surviving lines address people fleeing between Egypt and Hatti and protection of their homes from destruction.
Also known as the Eternal or Silver Treaty, it is the oldest known surviving peace treaty. Hittite King Hattusili III and Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II signed it around 1259 BCE to end a centuries-long war. It is sometimes called the Treaty of Kadesh, although the 1274 BCE Battle of Kadesh is not mentioned in the treaty.
The find adds to Turkey's efforts to complete the treaty's clay-tablet copies found at Hattusha. Future excavations at the site aim to uncover the remaining fragments.
