Fragment of oldest known peace treaty found in Turkey

Archaeologists excavating in the ancient Hittite capital of Hattusha have uncovered a fragment of the world's oldest peace treaty, signed around 1269 B.C.

By Kristina Killgrove Edited by Laura Geggel , Kimberly Hickok Published 22 September 2026 In News 3 min read When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works .

Archaeologists have found a fragment of cuneiform recording the Treaty of Kadesh, which was signed by Egypt's Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III around 1269 B.C. (Image credit: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Share this article 5 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Archaeologists have discovered a 3,400-year-old fragment of the world's oldest known peace treaty, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced.