Discoveries of Armenian and Polish archaeologists in Metsamor

15:34, 11 December 2014

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS: Archaeologists from Armenia and the Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw discovered evidence of destruction and capture of the ancient city of Metsamor, one of the most famous archaeological sites in the vicinity of Yerevan. The Deputy Director of the Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum Reservations Ashot Piliposyan told Armenpress that the discovery is quite interesting.

“We have excavated the city district of Metsamor. It was not an excavation site and for two years we have been studying it. We have discovered quite an interesting structural system, which were burnt, though it has a very interesting archaeological material in it. It is dated back to the 11-9 centuries B.C. Most probably this territory, at the times of Argishti I, in the first quarter of the 8^th century was made a part of the Kingdom of Van. And the fire, probably, was the result of the military activities of the forces of Argishti I”, - Piliposyan added that all this happened very fast, aiming evidently at the weakening of that part of the city and uniting the territory with the Kingdom of Van.

Earlier the Science and Scholarship in Poland reported that the head of the project Krzysztof Jakubiak said: "In the entire area of research we found layers of burning and ash. The city was probably captured by the army of Argishti I, the ruler of Urartu".

Argishti I was the king of Urartu, the biblical Kingdom of Ararat in the Armenian Highlands. During his reign, the boundaries of the state expanded to the Caucasus, the area of today’s Yerevan.

Other findings of Polish archaeologists are evidence of the fighting and cruelty. Among them is a skeleton of about 30 years old woman, whose head was cut off, and of another person with a split skull. "We believe that both of them were killed during the attack on the city" - added Dr. Jakubiak. The discovered remains were not buried in the tombs, only randomly scattered among the buildings of the so-called lower town. What drew the attention of researchers was a small amount of finds in the form of historical objects, which may illustrate the scale of Urartu invasion.

Discoveries of Armenian and Polish archaeologists in Metsamor | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency

Discoveries of Armenian and Polish archaeologists in Metsamor

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