The Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology begins its second research project in Armenia

The Polish-Armenian Archaeological Expedition has completed its first season of research at the site of Argishtikhinili. This city, dating to the first half of the 1st millennium BCE, is notable for the cuneiform inscriptions of Urartian kings, monumental defensive architecture, and grand residences of the Urartian elite.

The settlement was founded on the summit of Davti Blur hill around 774 BCE, by Argishti I, the king of Urartu. Between the 9th and 7th centuries BCE, the Urartu was one of the most significant powers in Eastern Anatolia and the South Caucasus. The kingdom’s center was located near Lake Van. Through military campaigns in the late 9th and 8th centuries BCE, its borders expanded to encompass territories between Lake Urmia in the east, Lake Sevan in the north, and the Taurus and Zagros Mountains in the south.

Urartu, particularly in the 8th century BCE, was a formidable rival of the Assyrian Empire, engaging in protracted conflicts for dominance over Syria and southern Anatolia. Urartu is famed for its strongly fortified, hard-to-reach stone fortresses and bronze craftsmanship, examples of which can be found in many European museums.

In the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, Argishtikhinili was one of Urartu’s major administrative and urban centers. The city featured two citadels surrounded by residential districts and irrigation channels supplying water from the Araxes River. The most impressive and best-preserved parts of the city lie in the central and eastern sections of the Davti Blur hill, where the expedition’s work is concentrated.

The expedition is co-directed by Dr. Mateusz Iskra, head of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at PCMA UW, and Hasmik Simonyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reservations of Armenia.

Excavations in the 1960s and 1970s uncovered an administrative-religious complex with artifacts revealing Urartian history, religion, and culture, but the residential areas are still largely unexplored. – “The site is somewhat forgotten today, which unfortunately contributes to its gradual destruction” – admits Dr. Mateusz Iskra. For years, the area has suffered neglect and has been used as an illegal dumping ground and by treasure hunters. – “This may be the last chance to thoroughly study and save this site,” – the archaeologist adds.

The expedition has three main research objectives:

– To investigate the daily lives of the city’s elites living in houses situated near the palace complex.
– To reconstruct the history of the city and the processes leading to the decline of Urartu, a period that remains poorly understood.
– To analyze the impact of climate change on life in the city between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE.

The first season included geological and geophysical surveys, which allowed for remote identification of subsurface structures. The findings were verified through test excavations in selected locations. The team discovered remains of two large residences preliminarily dated to the 6th century BCE. Surprisingly, they also identified a cemetery near the residential area.

“Excavations in the cemetery have the potential to illuminate the sacral landscape of Argishtikhinili, shedding light on whether the site exclusively features Urartian-period burial practices or if it reflects a syncretic blend of burial traditions spanning multiple temporal phases” – explains Hasmik Simonyan. This analysis will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the region’s funerary customs across different chronological periods.

In the residential area, the primary objective is rigorous examination of the excavated structures and their careful conservation. This approach will provide critical insights into the architectural and socio-cultural practices of the inhabitants.

Additionally, as part of a collaborative research effort with the Sardarapat Ethnographic Museum in Armenia, all materials uncovered by the Armenian-Polish Archaeological Expedition will be systematically cataloged and displayed in both permanent and temporary exhibitions, ensuring their long-term preservation and public accessibility.

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