Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Armenian Highlands: A Thousand Years Before Urartu
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've covered a lot of Armenian history — Urartu, Tigranes the Great, the genocide, the diaspora. But today I want to go way, way back. Before Urartu, before even the name 'Armenia' appears in any record, the Armenian Highlands were already home to sophisticated Bronze Age cultures. Luna: I didn't realize there was much known about that period. What kind of cultures are we talking about? Lucas: One of the earliest is the Kura-Araxes culture, which flourished from about 4000 to 2000 BCE, stretching from the Caucasus down into modern Syria. But more specific to the Armenian Highlands is the Trialeti-Vanadzor culture, which emerged around 2200 BCE. That's named after sites in modern Georgia and Armenia — Trialeti and Vanadzor — and they're known for some incredible burial mounds. Luna: Burial mounds with what, exactly? Lucas: Gold. Lots of gold. In the 1930s and 40s, archaeologists excavated these kurgans — that's the Russian term for burial mounds — and found silver goblets, intricate gold jewelry, and ceremonial weapons. The craftsmanship is astonishing. One famous piece is a silver cup from Karashamb, now in Georgia, showing a hunting scene and a ritual banquet. It's often compared to the artistry of Mycenaean Greece, but it's from the same period, around 2000 BCE. Luna: So these were wealthy, stratified societies. Lucas: Absolutely. And they built these massive cyclopean fortresses — walls made of enormous stone blocks, so huge that later Greeks thought only Cyclopes could have moved them. There's one at Metsamor, near modern Yerevan, which was a major religious and political center from the Bronze Age well into the Iron Age. It had a temple complex dedicated to a mother goddess, and they've found evidence of advanced metallurgy — not just gold, but also tin and iron. Luna: Metsamor — I've heard that name in connection with a nuclear plant, not ancient ruins. Lucas: Yeah, there's a Soviet-era nuclear plant nearby, but the ancient site is remarkable. It was occupied continuously for over 4,000 years. And then there's Lchashen, on the shores of Lake Sevan, where archaeologists discovered a whole underwater fortress and dozens of perfectly preserved chariots from around 1500 BCE. Those chariots are some of the oldest known in the world, and they show that the highlands were a crossroads for innovation. Luna: Chariots under Lake Sevan? How did they end up there? Lucas: The lake level has fluctuated—in Soviet times they drained it for irrigation, and that's when the chariots were discovered. They were part of a burial site, and they're so well preserved because of the waterlogged conditions, with their wooden wheels and leather straps still intact. It's a direct link to the world of the Iliad — these are the same kind of light, two-wheeled chariots that Homer described. Luna: So these cultures — are they considered Armenian? Or proto-Armenian? Lucas: That's a loaded question. Linguistically, the Armenian language is an Indo-European branch, but when did Armenian speakers arrive in the highlands? There's a long-running debate. Some scholars argue for a migration from the Balkans around 1200 BCE, linking Armenians to the Phrygians. The Greek historian Herodotus said the Armenians were 'Phrygian colonists,' but other evidence points to a gradual, indigenous development. The names recorded by the Hittites and Assyrians — like Hayasa-Azzi and Nairi — may or may not be directly ancestral to the Armenians. Luna: Hayasa-Azzi — I've seen that in passing. What are they? Lucas: Hayasa-Azzi was a confederation of kingdoms in the Armenian Highlands mentioned in Hittite texts from around 1500 to 1200 BCE. They were often at war with the Hittite Empire. One Hittite king, Tudhaliya III, even had his capital sacked by them. The name 'Hayasa' is intriguing because the Armenian word for Armenia is 'Hayastan,' and Armenians call themselves 'Hay.' It's tempting to see a connection, but we can't be sure. The same goes for 'Nairi,' an Assyrian term for the region around Lake Van, which some think is related to the later 'Nairi' tribes. Luna: So there's a gap between these Bronze Age cultures and the Urartian kingdom. Lucas: Right. The Urartian kingdom emerges around 860 BCE, but the highlands were already dotted with fortified cities and petty kingdoms for centuries. The Assyrians mention dozens of Nairi kings. One text from the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser I, around 1100 BCE, boasts of conquering 23 kings of Nairi. So there was a complex political landscape. And then, around the 9th century, a unified kingdom of Urartu coalesces under Aramu, with its capital at Tushpa, modern Van. And that's where our episode on Urartu picked up. Luna: So the question of Armenian origins is still open. Lucas: Wide open. But what's certain is that the Armenian Highlands have been a crucible of culture for over 5,000 years. The gold from Trialeti, the chariots from Lchashen, the cyclopean walls of Metsamor — they're the foundation of everything that came later. And they remind us that the story of Armenia isn't just about what survives in written records. It's also what's buried in the earth, waiting to be uncovered. Luna: It's amazing how much we can piece together from archaeology and scattered inscriptions. It really makes you wonder what else is out there. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's the beauty of this deep history — every new dig, every newly translated tablet, could rewrite what we think we know. The Armenian Highlands are still full of secrets, and that's a great note to end on. Thanks for joining me on this journey into the deep past. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. This was eye-opening.