Armavir

🔍 Research history

Among the ancient Armenian historians, M. Khorenatsi’s reference on the pagan temples built in Armavir and the magnificent statues erected in them is exceptional. And already in the first half of the XIX century, Kerporter, Saint-Martin, and later Chantre were interested in Armavir. Echmiadzin monastic scientists also played a major role in the study of Armavir by publishing the cuneiform inscriptions found on the site. M. Smbatyan’s role is particularly significant in that matter, who collected cuneiform inscriptions and published their copies. In 1880, exploratory excavations were undertaken in Armavir in order to prepare materials for the 5th Archaeological Congress to be held in Tiflis. The expedition led by A. Yeritsyan and A. Uvarov, made partial excavations at the top and foot of the hill. Argishtikhinili is discovered. The excavations of Argishtikhinil-Armavir were later resumed in 1962 under the leadership of H. Martirosyan and B. Arakelyan, and later G. Tiratsan.

🧱 Archaeological description

The history of the Argishtikhinili study is closely connected with the ancient capital of Armenia, Armavir, later built on its territory. M. Khorenatsi reports on the construction of Armavir by Hayk’s grandson, Aramayis. “Aramais builds a house for his people on the bank of the river, on a hill, and calls it Armavir after himself, and calls the river Yeraskh after his grandson Yerast.” The traditions preserved by Khorenatsi about Armavir arose the interest of the European scientists.

According to the Khorkhorian Chronicle and its copy preserved on the wall of the Saint Sahak Church in Van, Argishti I built Argishtikhinil in the 11th year of his reign in 776 BC, named it after himself and carried a canal from Araxes for the city. Another inscription found not far from Armavir is of great importance for the study of the city’s foundation history: here Argishti I reports that he constructed a powerful fortress naming it Argishtikhinili, built four canals from the river and established a garden. Great works were done for the construction of the castle and the city.

The monument occupied an area of about 1000 hectares. During the reign of Sardur II, Rusa I and Rusa III, the construction of the pillared hall of the western fortress of the city of Armavir continued. The inscriptions of Sardur II are particularly interesting, where he reports on the construction of the Susi temple and the “Chaldean gates”. Other records of the same king speak of the organization of royal and temple economies, the establishment of vines and fruit trees, orchards, and other works. The population of Argishtikhinili consisted of both local and resettled people from many conquered countries. Economic life has developed vigorously throughout the city’s existence.

During the excavations, the western fort located 3400 m from the eastern one, was studied. The western castle was built on the “Hill of David”, rising 52 meters above the plain. The castle covers an area of 2 hectares. The naturally vulnerable parts of the hill were fortified with three-row walls on the northern side and two-row walls on the southern side. The height of the foundation wall has reached 3-4 m in some places, and the width – 2-5 m.

The fortress communicated with the city through three gates: two of them were built in the northern and one in the eastern directions.

All the gates were well guarded by powerful corner towers.

During the reign of Argisht I, the castle covered an area of 1 ha and was protected by a series of walls.

The largest building built in the western castle was the east-western palace building with an area of 3000 m2. The ceremonial entrance is built into the eastern outer wall and is protected by two powerful towers, while the western one leads to the spacious courtyard. The palace rises on three interconnected stepped cliffs and consists of 19 spacious residences of various purposes. Its main building is a spacious hall with the roof supported by twenty wooden pillars. The cuneiform inscriptions of Argishti I are preserved on the basalt anchors of the columns with the following content: “Argishti, the son of Menua, built this house by the greatness of the Chaldean god.”

Like in Erebuni, the colonnaded hall of the palace was later turned into a wine cellar, where 35 large vats were placed.

Outside the palace, in the northern part of the courtyard, extensive storehouses were built with the floor covered with burnt wheat. The courtyard was among these buildings with an area of 700 m2, connected to the northern gates of the castle. Three temples were built around the perimeter of the opposite square. Two of them consisted of one or two halls, each with an area of 200 m2. The individual anchors of the colonnade were preserved, and the walls were covered with multi-colored frescoes.

The third building of the temple complex is a large building with an area of 400 m2:  the foundations of the powerful walls are 2.5 m thick, and the part adjacent to the walls is 5 m thick. Carefully arranged doorways are decorated with stones.

In addition to the palace complexes, many residential, storage and economic buildings were opened in other parts of the western fortress, characteristic of Urartian architecture with their construction techniques and composition.

During the 1973 excavations, the pool was excavated for the first time. It is a rectangular building with walls of 3.3 meters thick. It looks like a funnel. The dimensions of the base are 5.5×3.2 m, and the upper part is 6.75×5 m. The capacity is more than 80,000 liters. It is assumed to be built during the reign of Sardur II.

Interesting structures were also excavated in separate parts of the city. Smaller buildings of economic significance were placed around the spacious living rooms.

A spacious wine cellar was opened in the shelter of the north-eastern corner, where 8 large and 3 medium-sized vats were placed with the total capacity of 12-13 thousand liters. In the opposite corner was the barn, where 30-40 small cattle could be kept. The floor of the barn was covered with stone slabs, with several stone troughs for fodder placed on them. Shells, flat stone pans, basalt bowls, tufa slabs and iron mason axes were found in the central rooms.

Thus, the first house excavated in the second site, belonged to a mason master, and the second one – to one of the city’s high ranked, the seal maker or “seal keeper”, whose position is attested in the cuneiform inscriptions. The large exterior walls of the building are supported by retaining walls. Its total area is 614 square meters.

North of the hall a spacious living room with four doors was excavated. In addition to the stone and clay vessels of various shapes, an onyx seal with a deer image was found here. Another seal is carved with a horse head.

The presented house belongs to a not very rich resident of the city. He was engaged in making and carving stone objects. The house occupied 250 sq. m total area and consisted of several rooms. Here, a high bench-platform made of clay and a large number of stone objects were discovered, which were apparently the preparation of the Urartian conical seals and charms.

Among the houses excavated in the city, the house of the curmudgeon opened in the third district stands out. It is built on top of a high volcanic cone. The complex occupies 400 sq. m area and has a rectangular floor plan. It consisted of nine rooms of different significance, having a residential, service and storage function. Under the collapsed roof skeletons of a woman, as well as various animals, fragments of many shells were found. Among them, the elegant engobe coated, polished 2-7 cm vessels (bowls, jugs, single-bowl jugs, two-bowl cups) are exceptional. They were used for the preparation and storage of various perfumes, aromatic oils, small doses of medicinal herbs.

🔨 Findings

Due to Argishtikhinili’s excavations, a huge amount of archaeological material was found. Not only the objects of material culture, but also the workshop of the blacksmith-bronze caster testify to the developed metalworking. It was excavated on the site of the staircase between the two towers of the eastern entrance to the citadel.

During the city excavations, the potter’s house was revealed as well, where three clay wheels of the potter’s machine were found. A human sculpture made of tuff was discovered near the house. Jars decorated with braided, triangular, arched, rectangular patterns and flat bands stand out among the pottery materials. These vessels were mainly used to store wine and oil. There are also jars where grain was stored. A large number of cigar-shaped vessels were used to obtain and store beer from millet and barley. In Argishtikhinili, troughs were used for preparing and storing dairy products (yogurt, ghee, cheese). Bunches of different shades are distinguished by their versatility. They have a convex, spherical, oval body, wide necks. The shoulder of one of the reddish cocoons is decorated with a diagram of a chariot, the others with images of a horse and trees of life. Some vessels are engraved with images of lions and goats.

The excavations at Argishtikhinili revealed the reasons and timing of the city’s decline. Argishtikhinili, like Teishebaini, fell as a result of the attacks of the Mara-Scythian gangs.

🌍 Significance

Argishtikhinili (Urartian: URUar-gi-iš-ti-ḫi-ni-li), a city in the kingdom of Van, was the administrative-economic and religious center of the kingdom.

It was built during the expansion of the Kingdom of Van in Transcaucasia by King Argisht I in around 776 BC and was named after the latter. The remains of animals found here prove that various healing medicines were prepared in the Urartians’ houses, and there was a large center of traditional medicine. According to S. Mezhlumyan, individual organs and certain parts of the body of mouflon, deer, fox, wolf cub, rabbit, beaver, hedgehog and other animals were found, widely used in folk medicine. Thus, turtle blood, mixed with wine, helps in the treatment of cough, earache and ulcers. Hedgehog has an interesting healing property. Its burnt needles heal the eyes, and the flesh is used in the treatment of kidneys, snake bite, joints.

📜 Traditional legends 

Several types of plane-sycamore are known, which can still be seen in the villages of Armavir region. Greek historian and general Ptolemy Claudios visited Armavir and admired the beauty of the forest. Armenian historians, such as M. Khorenatsi, mention the Sosyats forest and its healing and magical properties.

📚 Sources

Literature

1. Arakelyan Babken, Journal. Vol. 7, page: 444
2. S. Asmaryan , “From the patriarch of Aramais to the community of Armavir” Y 2013
3. R. Ishkhanyan Reg. v. 7, page 443/4/
4. E. Khanzadyan, Emma Khanzadyan, Settlements of the 3rd millennium BC in Mokhrablur (Arevik-Armavir), Encyclopedia, vol. 2, page: 37-38
5. I. Karapetyan , Material culture of Armenia VI-IV centuries BC.
6. T. Hakobyan “Dictionary of toponyms of Armenia and neighboring regions”, “Armavir” article, page: 77-78.
7. HA, Academy of Sciences Armenia ed. 1971, vol.1, page: 920-921
8. Ghafadarian 1984; Martirosyan, Torosyan 1986;
9. Movses Khorenatsi, “History of Armenians”, translation by Malkhasyantsi, 1968: pages: 91 – 92.
10. Archeology of Urartu (Fortress-settlements and tomb complexes), Yerevan. University of Yerevan. ed., 2008, pp. 85-95.
11. S. Vardanyan, Capitals of Armenia. G. Tiratsyan 100th anniversary of Armavir excavations.”Argishtikhinili” Monument,
    hushardzan.am
12. A. A. Martirosyan, Argishtikhinili, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Yerevan, 1974
13. B. N. Arakelyan, About some results of the archaeological study of ancient Armavir, “Historical-philological journal”, 1969,
    № 4.Pre-Urartian Armavir (III – the beginning of the 1st millennium BC).”Historical-philological journal” № 2 . pp. 254–275.
14. Piotrovsky B. B. Kingdom of Van (Urartu), Eastern Literature Publishing House, Moscow, 1959.
15. Sergei Glinka. “Review of the history of the Armenian people from the beginning of its existence to the revival of the Armenian region in the Russian Empire.” Moscow, 1832.
16. A. S. Uvarov, study of the areas, where the ruins of Armavir were supposed. 5th archaeological congress in Tiflis. Prepare protocols. M., 1882.