Urartu and Etiuni: the ancient history of the Armenian Highland

The Urartian kingdom was one of the most important powers during the first half of first millennium BC. Even in the first half of 8th century BC, Urartu, Urartian state became an empire and even had a hegemony against Assyria. Most powerful player in the ancient Near East in that time. During Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, so since 16th-15th centuries BC till even the formation of the Urartian kingdom till the middle of 9th century, almost the entire territory of Armenian highland was in a one cultural social zones. So I don't say about the ethnicity. So we speak about the cultural social developments. So with Cyclopean masonry, Cyclopean fortresses, black ware pottery, militarized society, complex society, chiefdoms, etc. In scientific literature, this culture is called as Lejashen-Metsamorian or Etiunian culture. You know about Lejashen and Metsamor which are key archaeological sites of modern Armenia. But also it is important to emphasize about the Etiuni confederation which was a tribal confederation mentioned in the Urartian inscriptions and it was one of the most powerful rival of Urartu. We can just in this case single out two social or cultural zones in the territory of Armenian highland. One was formed between the lakes Urmia and Van and a little bit south and Van was formed in the territory of modern Armenia. In brackets, we can call those zones as Beyanili zone and Etiuni zone. This is very important to take into account. For example, in early Iron Age, both the territory of Van lake, so above mentioned territory of modern Armenia were in the same cultural and social zones. For example, the same burial customs, the same tombs, the same traditions, the same masonry, architecture, everyday life are attested both in the territory of modern Armenia but also for example in the between of lake Van and Urmia. So this is very important. But after something changed and in this case it is very important to mention about the Nairi lands. So we have mentioned about Nairi lands in Assyrian and Urartian inscriptions. And Nairi in some case has some territory geographical meaning but also in Van period also some kind of social or cultural meaning as well. So this Nairi covers the territory of modern eastern Turkey, so historical western Armenia especially so that the territory located west and south to the lake of Van. Those lands, Nairi lands and the kings of Nairi lands because in Assyrian kingdom we have testimony about for example more than 40 kings of king Nairi, 60 kings of king Nairi, about the campaigns, military campaigns of the Assyrian monarchs etc etc. And they were in contact, they were in touch. This is extremely important feature. So we have in my personal opinion two zones. Two zones mainly connected with ideologies. Etiuni zone which continue to keep so-called simple but very deep ideology with Cyclopean masonry, with so typical burial customs, tombs, black bear pottery, some religious aspects etc. But in so-called Byainili zone which in all likelihood was part of Nairi geographical area so we have some kind of also mix of those features also some kind of Assyrian features, elements of Assyrian iconography, architecture and here one of the most important feature of course is writing which was absent in Etiuni in all likelihood and that was cuneiform. Cuneiform played an important role in this process. When the Urartian kingdom was formed we borrowed the Assyrian script so in the beginning we used also both Assyrian script and language but after we so using and based on Assyrian script they created their own script and based on language which in scientific literature we called in brackets as Urartian language. In my personal opinion this Byaina or Byainili lands why we call Byaina because so in Urartian inscription the monarchs of Urartu call their land as Byainili or Byaina. So Urartu is the name given by the Assyrians and for example in the bible this land is attested as a land or kingdom of Ararat and writing in my personal opinion played an important role and also some elements of Assyrian royal ideology. So we harmonized this to their ideology so we created a special deity who was symbolizing the power of the state who was associated with the monarch with the Urartian monarch the god Haldi as the protector, guarantor of the Urartian states benevolence of the Urartian state power and after so the state became more and more militarized. You know that organized minority is stronger than non-organized majority. So this is a rule and there was a how to say struggle of this these two ideologies Etiuni which we called and Byaina or Byainili and during centuries how say we have this kind of struggle and contact. Contact is very important also for transformation. So imagine the northern campaigns of the Urartian monarchs so against the northern lands so they captured some lands and also they say the kings of Etiuni came to help came to support them so and so there were some kind of different alliances Etiuni and Byainili. So the Urartian kingdom so was formed in the territory of Armenian highland and here in the territory of modern Armenia we have hundreds of cyclopean fortresses surrounded and also located on the slopes of Mount Aragats in Sevan basin in Lori region in Davush region and in other languages. So it's a really complex complex militarized societies well organized societies and for the Urartian kingdom it was not so easy to involve those lands in their empire. Of course we were able to involve Ararat plain also some other territory of Armenia for example the southern part of Sevan basin modern Shirak but for example we cannot tell the same for Lori region for Davush region for the southern part of Syunik region part of Aragats southern region and we can infer that those parts were under the control of Etiuni and also we we know the name of for example territory of Safford shore of lake Sevan Veduri Etiuni. It's derived from indo-european word of water so imagine we have Etiuni and Veduri Etiuni and for transformation this is really important because we have how to say contact both contact and struggle of two ideologies of two ideologies of the same culture and one of them how to say so turned contrary to to this and and when when we have a look of course the archaeological data help us a lot also for example the written sources are extremely important. So we have this contact in one period especially when Urartu became not so stronger as in the first half of 8th century as I have already mentioned so we have some kind of mix and harmonization of Piainili and Etiuni cultures so also these are very good visible in architecture in pottery tradition and this process developed especially also at the end of 8th century in in the 7th century and even it's continued after the collapse of the Urartian empire so we can say that in my personal opinion that the Urartian military expansion became the victim of Etiuni social and cultural annexion. This is really important for the archaeology and I think this is one of the main tasks for the archaeology of modern Armenia related to Iron Age period. So in this case cuneiform is an extremely important feature because cuneiform Urartian cuneiform also served as a important part of symbolic power and also as a border of Urartu. Imagine illiterate for example Etiunians or the natives of for example Shirak region so they look to this cuneiform which is ununderstandable but they feel the royal power. So this is something which divide these two worlds but after under some some circumstances which of course it is really hard to have a complete idea about how the Urartian empire was collapsed. We have different opinions for example the theory of disasters because in this period we have testimony and even fixed earthquakes in different archaeological sites. It is extremely important climate crisis pointed out by our colleague Yervan Gregyan because in that period there was really hard problems related with climate. Of course it was also problems connected with enemies such as Kithians, Scythians, Cimmerians, Assyrians after Medes etc etc and also Etiunians. Even in Assyrian sources you know like that we have testimony about the campaigns of Etiunians against Urartu. Also there was a how to say not well organizing of human resources. For example imagine one of the last powerful kings of Urartu, Rusa II, so-called Rusa the son of Argishti. So he built different important cities and for this reason he used huge quantity of resources and also manpower. So according to Paul Zymaski this also played an important role for the collapse of the Urartian empire. So if we look all this in one picture maybe we can have a more or less complete idea about the collapse of the Urartian state. And what is interesting after the collapse of Urartu of this state we have no cuneiforms, so no systematic cuneiform using in Armenian highland. We have no cult of god Chaldi so but we have some transformation of these features. For example we have transformation in architecture when the so-called Etiunian and Urartian elements mixed with each other. So in pottery tradition for example where we have both Urartian shape but in Etiunian tradition. So it is some kind of harmony between Etiunian and Biennial ideologies. We know for example in religious aspects of for example the Ndoro from the Maher which is well known from other national epic by the way which was created by the Urartian kings Ishpouini and Menua and called as gate of god Chaldi. And after this gate of god Chaldi was transferred to the gate or door of Maher, door of Mithra. So as Chaldi was rock burning so burning and disappearing god also the same function as also Armenian god Mithra. So in epic attested as Maher. For example about the temples. One of the most important feature for the Urartian religion and architecture is Urartian tower shape temple called Susi. And what is interesting that during Yerbandasat excavations which was one of the ancient capitals of Armenia during the excavations was discovered very similar structure. A little bit smaller but very similar to Susi. And also in the same area also was discovered a storage room with pithoi with Armenian carasses with extremely same decoration and shape as we have for Urartian storages and pithoi. So it says about the continuity. So and in this case in all likelihood even this kind of continuity was peaceful in all probability. So but of course we need more excavations we need more exploration. What we can tell based especially on for example Greek sources especially based on Xenopho which lived at the end of 5th century and in 4th century BC on Armenian historians also on archaeological data. So that there was a core in Armenian highland and that was the Armenian kingdom. Of course we cannot insist that the whole territory of Armenian highland was mono-ethnic. No. Also let's say Xenopho but the core were the Armenians. And this Armenian kingdom it keep a lot of features of Urartu. For example today Erebuni fortress. And you saw a lot of cuneiform inscriptions which are in the same place as we discovered. Yes. But in Erebuni we have so-called post-Urartian period. So related to this Armenian kingdom. This is end of 7th century first half of 6th century. What is interesting no one damaged these inscriptions. So if it was so unfamiliar to them of course they can remove it. Remove those inscriptions. But for example in Erebuni you see yes. So they are in the same place. No one damaged them. Just there was some kind of change of ideologies. So this Athenian culture won this Bainili ideology. Won ideology mixed with some kind of Assyrian, Neo-Hittite, North Syrian elements. So this ideology, Athenian ideology denied that kind of world. Denied but they were so smart that they integrated very important features to their world. And this was also one of the important reasons that for example due to archaeological data after Urartu we have some kind of I can say archaeological renaissance. So in brackets. So we have this transformation and in this case it is very important to excavate not only in fortresses but also in outer towns. For example I can tell about my excavations where I had an honor to be the head or so co-head of the co-director of excavation. So in Karmir Blur in Erebuni or excavation of Kotsaber located in the southern shore of Lake Sevan. How to say this contact, this synchronization between Athenian and Urartian worlds and ideologies are very clearly visible. And also I think they were not so unfamiliar to each other. But it was a struggle of two ideologies. We can for example bring many examples yes in different countries that we have a struggle of two ideologies. They struggle, fight with each other. So even they have some kind of crucial results. But they are the representatives of the same culture, of the same social thinking. So in my personal opinion as an archaeologist, as a person who dedicated so 18 years of his life for the investigations, research of Urartian, Athenian simple world, Athenian simple ideology, simple but very deep ideology. So I was able to involve Urartian ideology and it became much stronger. This ideology as an Armenian I also feel for example when I'm looking to Armenian churches. They are very simple but very deep, very mysterious, very religious. And you need to understand this. You need to feel this energy, this ideology. So the continuation of Cyclopean fortresses we see also in medieval times. So we have of pottery, different types of pottery we see also in medieval times. I am telling you just my opinion based what I feel and what I understood so researching of Urartu. This is absolutely another world and also transformation. So have a look to cuneiform sources again. For example in Babylonian sources Armenia was called Urartu. That is Babylonian version of Armenia. Even in one of the damaged inscriptions due to some scholars for example very famous British archaeologist David Stroner. He spoke about the independent Armenian kingdom and there was in all likelihood to mention about the campaign of Cyrus the Great against Urartu. So against Armenia. So Urartu and Urartu are the same. But after for example let's speak about the important Bessitun inscription of Darius of Darius I. So where we have mentioned again about the Armenia and in Old Persian it is mentioned as Armenia. In Elamite as Arminia and in Babylonian Urartu. Let's have a look to the world's oldest map so-called Babylonian map. So we have again different countries and also Urartu Armenia. So this also can testify about the transformation and continuity. This is extremely important and also the archaeological material what is very important also supporting to these ideas. Of course it is my opinion and some of my colleagues can disagree with this opinion. This is science. Science related to Urartu. Urartology which is developing and I think we are waiting for new discoveries because it's so mysterious and so magic to be a scholar who investigate this culture, this kingdom. Do not know any nations who can be the successor of the Urartian empire besides Armenians. It is clear that after the downfall of Urartu was formed Armenian kingdom. Even if there were different other tribes none of those tribes exist in modern days. So this is extremely important and this continuity, this succession is attested as I told you in written sources, in archaeological sources. This is extremely important for us but this is also very big responsibility to be the successor of great Urartian empire. This is really big and great responsibility. We need to care about the Urartian culture. We need to protect Urartu and Urartian culture as we will protect us because it is the same and we need to feel Urartu, Ararat, Etiuni and we need to imagine, construct some of our worldview also based on the harmony of Etiuni and Urartu.