The Unicode block "Anatolian Hieroglyphs" encompasses a range of characters from U+14400 to U+1467F, specifically dedicated to the ancient script used by the Hittites and related cultures in Anatolia during the second millennium BCE. These hieroglyphs form a vital part of the Anatolian language family, which includes Hittite—one of the earliest Indo-European languages to be deciphered. The Anatolian Hieroglyphs were traditionally carved into stone or impressed on seals and have been discovered in archaeological sites across modern-day Turkey and surrounding regions. They display a unique combination of pictograms and ideograms, with some symbols representing sounds, similar to a syllabary, while others depict whole words or concepts.
The inclusion of Anatolian Hieroglyphs in Unicode is an important milestone for digital representation and scholarly work, facilitating the transcription, study, and dissemination of these ancient texts. Researchers and linguists now have the means to digitally document and analyze texts that were once inaccessible or difficult to work with outside their original archaeological contexts. This addition to Unicode supports the preservation of cultural heritage and provides tools for comparative studies with contemporary and later writing systems, enriching our understanding of the evolution of written language. By enabling easier access and analysis, the Unicode block helps ensure that Anatolian Hieroglyphs remain a vibrant subject of academic inquiry, contributing valuable insights into ancient Anatolian civilizations.
View a range of fonts that support the Anatolian Hieroglyphs block.
Below you will find all the characters that are in the Anatolian Hieroglyphs unicode block. Currently there are 583 characters in this block.