Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Kingdom of Urartu: Armenia's Iron Age Precursor
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've covered a lot of Armenian history on this show — from the Bagratids to the Mamikonians, from the conversion to Christianity to the genocide. But today I want to go way, way back. Before Armenia was even called Armenia, there was a kingdom that dominated the Armenian highlands in the Iron Age: Urartu. Luna: Urartu — I've heard that name. It's associated with Mount Ararat, right? Lucas: Exactly. In fact, the name 'Ararat' is likely a Hebrew adaptation of 'Urartu'. And the kingdom itself was centered around Lake Van, in what's now eastern Turkey. It flourished from about the 9th to 6th centuries BCE, and it was a serious rival to the Assyrian Empire. The Urartians called their land 'Biainili', and they left behind impressive stone fortresses, irrigation canals, and cuneiform inscriptions. Luna: So what made Urartu so powerful? Lucas: A combination of geography and military innovation. The highlands were naturally defensible, and the Urartians built fortified cities on rocky outcrops — Tushpa, their capital, was on the shores of Lake Van, with a citadel carved into the cliffs. They also developed advanced irrigation systems, which allowed them to support a large population and grow crops like wheat and barley even in the arid climate. Their army used chariots, cavalry, and iron weapons — iron was a game-changer back then. Lucas: And they had a pantheon of gods, headed by Haldi, the chief god, who was often depicted standing on a lion. Haldi was a warrior god, and the Urartian kings would seek his blessing before battles. They built temples to him, and they believed he granted them victory. Another important god was Shivini, the sun god, who was depicted with a winged sun disk — similar to the Assyrian god Ashur. Luna: Did the Assyrians ever conquer them? Lucas: They tried, many times. The Assyrian king Shalmaneser III launched campaigns into Urartu in the 9th century BCE, and he boasted of conquering many cities. But the Urartians always bounced back. Under King Sarduri I, around 840 BCE, they built the fortress of Tushpa and began to consolidate power. And then under Ishpuini and his son Menuas, Urartu expanded dramatically, reaching its peak in the 8th century BCE under Argishti I and Sarduri II. Lucas: Argishti I is a key figure. He founded the city of Erebuni in 782 BCE — that's the site of modern Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. So in a sense, Yerevan is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Argishti left behind a cuneiform inscription at Erebuni that says: 'By the greatness of Haldi, Argishti, son of Menuas, built this mighty fortress and named it Erebuni.' Luna: Wow, so Armenia's capital has roots stretching back to Urartu. Lucas: Absolutely. And the Urartian legacy is embedded in Armenian culture. The irrigation canals they built are still in use in some areas. And even the Armenian language may have borrowed words from Urartian. The kingdom of Urartu eventually collapsed around the 6th century BCE, possibly due to internal strife and invasions from the Medes and Scythians. But after their fall, the region transitioned into the Satrapy of Armenia under the Achaemenid Persians. So Urartu is really the foundation layer on which Armenian identity was built. Luna: That makes me think about how often we focus on later periods, but the Iron Age set the stage for everything. Lucas: Exactly. And there are still mysteries. For example, the Urartians are believed by many to be the ancestors of the Armenians, but the evidence is not conclusive. The Urartian language is part of the Hurro-Urartian family, which is unrelated to Indo-European Armenian. Yet there are cultural continuities, and the geographical overlap is striking. Some scholars think that a population shift or linguistic assimilation took place, where the local population gradually adopted an Indo-European language — what became Armenian. So Urartu remains a fascinating puzzle. Luna: So when we talk about ancient Armenia, we're really talking about a layered history. Lucas: Exactly. And the Urartian inscriptions — over 500 of them have been found — give us a direct window into their world. They record building projects, military campaigns, and religious dedications. For instance, one inscription from Sarduri II boasts of defeating the Assyrian army and capturing their camp. These are some of the oldest written records from the Armenian highlands. It's incredible that they've survived for nearly 3,000 years. Luna: I'd love to see those inscriptions one day. Lucas: Well, you can. The fortress of Van still stands, with its rock-cut chambers and cuneiform inscriptions. And in Yerevan, the Erebuni Museum houses many artifacts from the Urartian period, including bronze helmets, shields, pottery, and those famous inscriptions. It's a remarkable way to connect with the deep past of Armenia.