Argishtikhinili

Argishtikhinili

Argištihinili

• Project name:

  Armenian-Polish Archaeological Expedition at Argishtikhinili

  Project logo:

   

• Type of site:

  Settlement with a citadel

  Location:

  Armenia
  Armavir province, Nor Armavir village

  Dating:

  8th–6th century BCE

Most interesting finds at the site:

• Urartian cuneiform inscription
• remains of Susi temple,
• storerooms with large storage jars,
• nine Urartian residences

History of research:

The main fieldwork campaign was conducted in 1962–1976 by an Armenian expedition led by Harutyun Martirosyan from the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. During the 1980s and early ’90s occasional fieldwork was undertaken by Rafik Torosyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

Investigated by the PCMA expedition:

2024–

Type of research:

Excavations, survey

Directors:

Mateusz Iskra
Hasmik Simonyan

Co-operating institutions:

• Institue of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia;
• Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-reservations;
• Memorial Complex of Sardarapat Battle, National Museum of Armenian Ethnography and History of Liberal Struggle

Description of the site and research:

The site is located at the top of Surb Davti Blur Hill (Saint David’s Hill) within the village of Nor Armavir (Armavir Province). The settlement was founded most likely around 776 BCE by King Argishti I, as confirmed by a foundation inscription found in the nearby Sardarapat. In Urartian texts, Argishtikhinili is described as a city with extensive economic facilities concentrated along four irrigation canals bringing water from nearby Arax.

Two citadels were the dominant features of the city: the western one, located in the western part of the Surb Davti Blur Hill, and the eastern one, located on top of the Armavir Blur Hill. As indicated by the results of previous research, there was an extensive city between the citadels, but it most likely did not have its own fortifications. The most impressive and best-preserved part of the Urartian city is located in the central and eastern part of the Surb Davti Blur hill.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, nine large residences, probably belonging to the city’s elite, were uncovered here. In addition, the remains of twenty more houses were recorded, distributed along the passageways running along the axis of the hill from west to east. One of these architectural complexes, located in the eastern part of the hill, is currently studied by the Armenian-Polish mission.

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