Ortaköy was identified as the site of ancient Sapinuwa after a local farmer contacted Çorum Museum; he found two clay cuneiform tablets in his field.

Building A has yielded 5000 tablets and fragments, dated to the time of Hittite ruler Tudhaliya II (c. 1360 – 1344 BC).

The first English-language publication of any text, a fragmentary vocabulary text listing useful plants, perhaps an advanced school tablet of the 14th century BCE, along with further discussion of the site, appeared in Aygul Süel and Oguz Soysal, "A Practical Vocabulary from Ortakoy";[9] also published is a letter from a queen.

The latter is divided into two main districts: the Ağılönü region and Tepelerarası; they are separated by a stream which flows through the area.

[11] According to Erdal Atak, Northeast of Building D in the Tepelerarası district there is located Area G. A workshop has been uncovered here, featuring finds of intricately carved moulds.

These moulds were used for fine silver work; large amounts of obsidian were also found nearby.

[13] Sapinuwa is where Tudhaliya II resided for much of his reign, and many cuneiform tablets mentioning him were found, including international treaties.

This was the time known in literature as ‘concentric invasions’, when the Hittite state was besieged by many enemies on all sides.

It is at this time of Hittite weakness that Arzawa in western Anatolia rose to international prominence reflected in the Amarna letters of Amenhotep III.

Suppiluliuma I was the son of Tudhaliya II, and both of them spent much time fighting the Kaskans, as well as the Hayasans and Arzawa.

"[6] However, "[m]ost of the epigraphic finds are dated to the last phase of the Hittite Middle Kingdom (ca.