Civilization arose in the 33rd century. back.
Civilization stopped in the 25th century. back.
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This civilization of Transcaucasia originated from the Sumerian-Akkadian civilization..
Toynbee classifies it as a companion to the flourishing civilizations.
The Urartians are the ruling tribe of the Urartian civilization, which was heterogeneous in its ethnic composition..
The population of Urartu included a large Hurrian population.
Urartu also included proto-Armenian tribes, speakers of the proto-Armenian language.
The state of this civilization was the Urartian kingdom. Ararat. Biaynili. Kingdom of Van.
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This is the ancient civilization of Transcaucasia.
The Urartians were a tribe that spoke the written Urartian language.
WITHAmong the population of Urartu there were people of both sedentary and nomadic types. Migrants came to Urartu from the southeast, northeast and west. The population of Urartu included a large area of the Hurrian population, possibly designated by the Assyrians with the word “Nairi”, remaining after the collapse of the Mitanni state.
INUrartu also included proto-Armenian tribes, speakers of the proto-Armenian language. Proto-Armenian tribes (flies in Assyrian sources) migrated to the Armenian Highlands from the west and settled on the territory of historical Armenia before the formation of the state of Urartu - at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. (modern Turkish province of Malatya on the site of historical Melitene). In Armenian historiography, the prevailing tendency is to talk about the autochthony of the Armenians in the Armenian Highlands in the Hayas region.
The state of this civilization was the Urartian kingdom.Ararat. Biaynili. Kingdom of Van. An ancient state in southwestern Asia, located on the territory of the Armenian Highlands (modern Armenia, eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran). Urartian art of this time has Assyrian features.
UThe Rartian language is similar to Hurrian. The Urartians probably spread across the Armenian Plateau from the Revanduz region in Western Azerbaijan, where the ancient city of Musasir was located. It is likely that the ancient Urartian city of Musasir was located on the territory of the initial settlement of this tribe.
WITHThe existence of Urartu as a union of tribes has been documented since the 13th century.The process of decomposition of primitive relations received intensive development among the tribes that lived in the area of Lake Van and bore the name Urartians. Eight countries under the general name Uruatri are mentioned in this region in Assyrian sources as early as the 13th century. BC.
Urartu as a state has been mentioned in sources since the 8th century BC.
In the first quarter of the 1st millennium BC. Urartu occupied a leading position among the states of Western Asia.
Urartu ceased to exist in the 6th century BC.
Later, the civilizations of Colchis, Iberia, Armenia, and Caucasian Albania were formed here.
Sources.
1
. Assyrian mentions of Urartu in the period from the 13th to the 8th centuries BC. Assyrian sources are the basis of much of the historical data about Urartu, as well as the basis of the chronology of Urartu. The oldest known mention of Urartu is found in the inscriptions of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser I (Shulman-Ashared I, reigned 1280-1261 BC). From the texts we can conclude that the “kings of Urartu” during this period were in a long military confrontation with Assyria, and the organized military campaigns of the Assyrians regularly brought them success in the wars with the Urartians. The stronger Assyrian troops at that time, as a rule, pursued predatory goals; the main purpose of raids on Urartu was to seize valuables and steal livestock.
2
. Babylonian chronicles of the 7th century BC, relating mainly to the decline of Urartu;
3
. brief mentions in Hittite hieroglyphic texts;
4
. Urartian inscriptions, made mainly in cuneiform, borrowed from the Assyrians.
5
. The Assyrian name for the state of Urartu has been in use since the 9th century BC. in Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions. There is an assumption that this name meant “high country.” In the 10th century BC. in Assyria there was also a variant “Uratri” (U-rat-ri).
6
. Biaini (Biainili). Local name with unclear etymology. The word Biaini acted both as the self-name of Urartu and as the name of the internal region of this country where the consolidation of the Urartian tribes first took place, in the area of the first capital of Urartu - the city of Arzashkun. The word “Van” in the name of the city of Van, located on the site of the former Urartian capital, and in the name of the lake of the same name probably etymologically go back to the word Biaynili.
7
. Kingdom of Van. The name Urartu currently used by many.
8
. Country of Nairi. Nairi is the early Assyrian name for a “group of tribes” living in the territories of Urartu. This name is found in the 13th-11th centuries BC, and Lake Van in Assyrian texts retained its old name “sea of the country of Nairi” (Akkadian tâmtu ša mât Nairi) in the subsequent period. Some researchers considered the Assyrian word "Nairi" to be the name of the Hurrian people, which is consistent with modern research on the relationship of the Urartian language with Hurrian.
9
. Ararat. Inaccurate Masoretic vowel of Aram. rrt = Urartu, which is used in biblical texts and is preserved in modern toponymy.
10
. Country of Alarodiev. Herodotus mentions the Urartians under the name Alarodia.
11
. Haldia. Some historians of the late 19th - early 20th centuries identified Urartu with the country of the “Chaldai” mentioned by ancient historians on the basis of a phonetic comparison with the name of the supreme deity of the Urartians, the god Khaldi.
12
. Aratta is an ancient mountainous country, mentioned back in the 3rd millennium BC. in Sumerian texts. The identification of Aratta with Urartu is not a generally accepted statement in scientific circles, made by individual researchers on a phonetic basis, and also partially argued by the English scientist David Rohl. But most scientists believe that Aratta was located in the mountains of central or southwestern Iran and is in no way connected with Nairi/Urartu.
In documents from the reign of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, instead of numerous small possessions, a country named Urartu is mentioned.
Another state association of Urartian tribes formed to the southwest of Lake. Urmia was called Mutsatsir. The all-Urartian cult center was located here.
WITHThe formation of Urartu statehood dates back to the 9th-8th centuries. BC. Geographically, it was located on the Armenian Highlands in the area of Lake Van. The state was called Biainili, the Assyrians called it Urartu and it became the successor to the intertribal union of Urautri. (Toynbee)
ANDIt was Assyria, through its actions, that contributed to the emergence of the state of Urartu on the Armenian Highlands. The desire of the local population to protect themselves from the predatory raids of the Assyrians contributed to the emergence of tribal unions, and over time, state formation. The natural resources of the Armenian Highlands initially created the economic prerequisites for the emergence of a state here, however, the military-political prerequisites and, accordingly, the opportunity to create such a state appeared only in the Iron Age: it became possible for the local population to effectively resist the formidable Assyrian army only after the technology of stone processing iron guns allowed the construction of numerous defensive fortresses on the Armenian Highlands.
PThe process of uniting tribes and developing technology for building fortresses continued for centuries. In the 9th century BC. Assyria managed to conduct its last successful campaigns against Urartu: under the leadership of Shalmaneser III (Shulman-Ashared III) in 858-856 BC. During the reign of Arama, Shalmaneser III destroyed the first capitals of Urartu, the cities of Suguniya and Arzashka, the exact location of which has not been established, and successfully advanced deeper into Urartu.
The first ruler of the united Urartu was King Aram (864-845 BC). However, the army of Shalmaneser III launched campaigns against him. Assyrian politicians apparently already sensed a potential threat in the emerging young state. However, these military actions did not affect the main regions of Urartu and Mutsatsir, and contrary to the hopes of the kings of Assyria, the strengthening of the new state continued.
The Urartian ruler Sarduri I (835-825 BC) had already formalized his ambitions. He adopted a pompous title borrowed from the Assyrian kings. This was a direct challenge to the power of Assyria. The capital of the Urartian state became the city of Tushpa in the area of \u200b\u200bLake. Van, around which powerful stone walls are being built.
PRi Sarduri I, Assyrian raids could no longer reach the capital of Urartu, but only disturbed the southern outskirts of the country. Although in a direct clash the Urartian army lost to the Assyrian, the fortresses built by the Urartians no longer allowed the Assyrian army to penetrate far into the interior of the country. In addition, the harsh winter climate of the Armenian Highlands made the task more difficult for the Assyrians; they could carry out all offensive campaigns only in the summer and were now forced to carry heavy siege weapons with them. Under such conditions, the power of the Assyrian army was only sufficient for small successes. The power of Assyria in the region began to come to an end, and a new power in the Middle East began to flourish - the united Urartu.
The reign of the Urartian king Ishpuini (825-810 BC) was marked by active activity. If the inscriptions of Sarduri were written in Assyrian, now the official texts are compiled in the Urartian language, for which slightly modified Assyrian cuneiform was used. PUnder King Ishpuini, son of Sarduri I, (reigned c. 828-810 BC), the central power of Tushpa was further strengthened. The borders of Urartu are expanding: from the south, Urartu is joined by the territory between lakes Van and Urmia, as well as the territory south of Lake Urmia; in the north, in Transcaucasia, successful military campaigns are being carried out to capture the fertile valley of the Araks River. There is also a “centralization” of the Urartian religion. The deities of individual tribes are united into a single pantheon, headed by the gods of the central part of the country: Khaldi, Teisheba and Shivini. During the same period, cuneiform tablets appeared in the Urartian language.
The young state more and more clearly asserted its independence. The borders of the ruler Tushpa's possessions expand to the lake. Urmia, and the second Urartian formation - Mutsatsir - becomes one of the dependent possessions.
For the ideological unity of the new state, a religious reform was carried out - a special role was given to the three main deities: Khaldi - the god of the sky; Teisheba - the god of thunder and rain; Shivini - to the sun god.
The influence of the ancient religious center of the Urartian tribes Mutsatsir, where the main temple of the supreme god of the Urartian pantheon, Khaldi, was located, was strengthened. Intensive construction activity covers almost the entire territory of the state. Numerous Ishpuini inscriptions tell about her; they also tell about numerous campaigns.
The true creator of Urartian power was King Menua.
WITHWith the accession of Ishpuini's son Menua to the throne, massive construction work is being carried out on the territory of Urartu. During the reign of Menua (810-786 BC), fortresses were built protecting the approaches to Van, palaces and temples in many Urartian settlements, as well as a canal supplying water to the city of Tushpu, which has survived to this day. The period of Menua's reign overlaps with the reign of the famous Assyrian queen Semiramis. The lull in hostilities with Assyria was marked by the cultural influence of Assyria on Urartu.
Although many buildings near Lake Van during Menua’s life, including the canal to Tushpa, were associated with his name, after some time they began to be associated with the name of Semiramis, as those built in her time. The Armenian medieval historian Moses Khorensky cites legends about the personal participation of the queen in the construction of buildings near Van during the time of Menua. During the reign of Menua, irrigation work was also intensively carried out throughout the country, and the expansion of the Urartians continued to the north in Transcaucasia and to the southwest, where the borders of Urartu reached the middle reaches of the Euphrates.
Some of the official annals have been preserved, describing the activities of this ruler year after year (similar annals in Urartu were also one of Menua’s innovations). Menua's military campaigns went in two directions - to the south, towards Syria, where his troops captured the left bank of the Euphrates, and to the north, towards Transcaucasia. At the same time, special attention was paid to the organization of subordinate territories. Apparently, in a number of cases the power of local kings was retained, but at the same time representatives of the central government were appointed - the heads of the regions.
Obviously, administrative reform also dates back to the time of Menua - the division of the Urartian state into regions governed by representatives of the central government.
Menua's construction activities were also very large-scale. In the area of the capital city of Tushpa, a canal about 70 km long was built, and in some places water was transferred through aqueducts made of stone, reaching a height of 10-15 m. In addition to this structure, which in ancient times was called the “Menua Canal,” canals were also built in other regions of the kingdom.
INDuring the reign of Menua's son Argishti I in 786-764 BC, Urartu was at the zenith of its power and became the most powerful state in Western Asia.Urartian troops penetrate into Northern Syria, where they win over the local rulers to their side. In the southeast, having included the Mannaean kingdom in their orbit of influence, the Urartians descend along the mountain valleys to the Diala basin, practically reaching the borders of Babylonia. As a result, Assyria finds itself surrounded on three sides by the possessions of Urartu and its allies.
Urartu firmly took possession of the area around Lake Urmia, the territories of Transcaucasia and blocked trade routes from Asia Minor to Assyria. The eternal rival of Urartu, Assyria was thus deprived of militarily strategic supplies of horses and iron, and was at that time in a state of economic and political decline. King of Assyria Shalmaneser IV, a contemporary of Argishti I, called the Urartian king this way: “Argishti Urart, whose name is terrible, like a heavy storm, whose forces are vast.” Argishti I was succeeded on the throne by his son Sarduri II, who continued his father’s work, carrying out a series of military campaigns, expanding further the country’s borders.
MThe state of Urartu reached its height in 774 BC, when the army of Assyria was defeated under the leadership of King Argishti.
Argishti also attached great importance to advancement in Transcaucasia. Urartian troops reach Colchis in Western Georgia, cross the Araks and take possession of a vast territory on its left bank up to Lake. Sevan. An extensive program of economic and construction activities is being carried out in the newly annexed regions. Near Armavir in 776 BC. the large urban center of Argishtikhinili is being built. On the site of modern Yerevan in 782 BC. Another city is being built - Erebuni.
In the Argishtikhinili area, four canals are being built, vineyards and orchards are being established. Giant granaries are built in fortified cities, where state grain reserves are concentrated. The policy of creating a second important economic center of the Urartian state in Transcaucasia, in an area remote from the main theater of military operations, fully justified itself in the course of subsequent events.
The work of his father was continued by his son Argishti Sarduri II (764-735 BC).
IN744 BC Tiglath-Pileser III ascended the throne of neighboring Assyria and immediately began the struggle to restore Assyria's former dominance in Western Asia. Tiglath-pileser III carried out a number of reforms in the Assyrian army and began successful military operations on the western borders of Urartu, aimed at returning Assyria control over trade routes to Asia Minor. By 735 BC. A decisive battle took place between the Assyrian army and the Urartian army on the western bank of the Euphrates. The Assyrians defeated the Urartian army and captured a large number of prisoners and various trophies. Sarduri II, commander of the Urartian army, fled from the battlefield to Tushpa. Tiglath-pileser III continued his military campaign deep into Urartu:
But the fight was not over. King Rusa I (735-713 BC) sought to revive the power of Urartu. In foreign policy, he tried to avoid open confrontation with Assyria, while at the same time supporting anti-Assyrian sentiments everywhere. Carrying out an active policy in the south also made it difficult for the Cimmerian nomads to invade the northern regions of Urartu. But the Urartian possessions in Transcaucasia systematically expanded, new cities were founded. Extensive work to create a powerful economic complex was carried out by Rusa I in the area north of the city of Urmia. The king did not forget the traditional center of his state - the lake area. Wang. An extensive reservoir was built there, vineyards and fields appeared, and a new city called Rusakhinili arose.
IN722 BC A more decisive and warlike Sargon II, the youngest son of Tiglath-pileser III, came to power in Assyria.
Seeing the energy with which Rusa I strengthened the power of Urartu, Assyria hastened to strike a new blow. The trip was carefully prepared.
In 714 BC. Assyrian troops, led by Sargon II, moved to the area east of the lake. Urmia against local rulers, skillfully set against Assyria by the Urartian king. But Rusa I also considered the moment opportune for a decisive battle and tried with his army to go to the rear of the army of Sargon II. The battle ended with the defeat of the Urartians.Decisive for Urartu was the very fact of defeat in battle and the loss of Musasir, the religious center of Urartu, the place of coronation of the Urartian kings since the time of Ishpuini. With the death of Musasir, the greatness of the supreme Urartian god Khaldi was shaken.
As a result of this campaign, Urartu was defeated in the struggle for political hegemony in Western Asia and ceded this role to Assyria.
However, in the future both sides avoided direct clashes.During the period of truce, Rusa I devoted a lot of time to internal construction, especially in the area of the northern part of Lake Urmia, where through his efforts a large Urartian center arose - the city of Ulhu. In addition, Rusa I built the new capital of Urartu - Rusakhinili on a rock a few kilometers from Tushpa.
INlate 8th century BC Sargon II died as a result of a palace conspiracy, and soon after Assyria plunged into a crisis associated with the confrontation with Babylonia and Media, which eventually, 100 years later, in 609 BC. led to the destruction of the Assyrian state.
In the meantime, the son of Rusa I, Argishti II (reigned 714 - ca. 685 BC), ascended the throne in Urartu. The nature of relations between Assyria and Urartu after the campaign of Sargon II changed: the parties began to more often resolve conflict situations through negotiations, and Urartu, fearing new defeats, ceased to lay claim to the northern possessions or zones of influence of Assyria.
Under these conditions, Argishti II (713-685 BC) directed his campaigns to the east, reaching the coast of the Caspian Sea. Here the traditional policy of the Urartian kings continued - the defeated regions were not ruined, but were subjugated on the terms of paying tribute. Argishti II carried out irrigation work in the central regions of the Urartian state - near lake. Wang. This stable situation continued under Ruse II (685-645 BC).
INThe son of Argishti II, who later ascended the throne of Rusa II (reigned c. 685 - c. 639 BC), taking advantage of the long truce, devoted himself to capital construction. During the reign of Rusa II, a large number of new fortified cities, temples and other structures were built in Urartu. Rusa II built the new capital of Urartu - Rusakhinili, located near Tushpa.
Apparently, Ruse II managed to conclude an alliance with the Cimmerians, together with whom he made successful campaigns in Asia Minor. In Transcaucasia, he carried out large irrigation works and built the city of Teishebaini.
Rusa II carried out large construction both in the capital and in Transcaucasia. This was the time of establishing cultural contacts with the Scythians. There is information about the successful campaigns of the Urartu army together with Cimmerian detachments against Phrygia, when the king of the Phrygian kingdom Midas died. From that time on Lydia stood up.
However, the threat to Urartian power lay in a new force - in the Scythian nomadic tribes that penetrated into Western Asia and created in the 670s. BC. own "kingdom". The Scythians defeated the allies of Urartu - the Cimmerians. Apparently, a number of regions of Urartu were also affected at the same time.
ABOUTAround 654, Rusa established peaceful relations with the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, when the latter was preparing for war with Babylonia. (Toynbee)
PAfter the death of Rusa II, Urartu was quite quickly, within 100 years, completely destroyed and subsequently forgotten even by ancient authors. Over the years, Urartu has seen several rulers: Sarduri III (ruled from c. 639 to c. 625 BC), Sarduri IV (ruled from c. 625 to c. 620 BC) .), Erimena, who reigned during the period ca. 620 - approx. 605 BC. and saw the death of Assyria, as well as Rus III (ruled in the period ca. 605 - ca. 595 BC) and Rus IV (ruled in the period ca. 595 - ca. 585 BC) - the last king of Urartu. During the reign of these kings, almost no new construction was carried out, and, despite the deepening crisis in Assyria, Urartu did not resume attempts to take control of the strategic trade routes between Mesopotamia and Asia Minor until the end of its existence.Construction activity continues in the Van region and in Transcaucasia, but its scale is decreasing. At the beginning of the 6th century. BC. Urartu falls into vassalage from the new powerful state of the ancient East - Media, and by 590 BC. ceases to exist as an independent state.
TO590 BC. Urartu lost its independence. Under Sarduri III, the son of Rusa II, Urartu was already actually a vassal state in relation to Assyria. At this time, the Teishebaini (Karmir-Blur) fortress in Transcaucasia was destroyed. Local residents tried to defend the fortress, since the Urartu army detachment had left it by this time.
INIn the Urartian religion, an important place was occupied by the cults of deities of mountains, waters, and various natural phenomena. A special place was occupied by the Sky God Khaldi and his wife Uarubani, the God of thunder and rain Teisheba (Hittite-Hurrian Teshub), and the Sun God Shivini.
The Urartian state paid great attention to economic development, especially taking care of the construction of irrigation canals and the construction of reservoirs. Royal farms played a significant role in the economy. During the construction of Teishebaini, Rusa II simultaneously constructed a canal and created extensive agricultural land. According to rough estimates, Teishebaini's granaries and wine warehouses were designed for products obtained on an area of 4-5 thousand hectares. According to cuneiform inscriptions, the staff of the royal household in Rusakhinili was estimated at 5,500 people. On the royal farms, agricultural products were processed and craft workshops operated. Temple farms were of much less importance.
The achievements of the Urartians in the field of culture were remarkable. The history of Urartu is the history of the urbanization of Transcaucasia. The territory of cities is usually quite large - from 200 to 300 hectares (Argishtikhin or even 400-500 hectares). Cities, as a rule, were created at the foot of high hills, the tops of which were occupied by citadels. The layout of some Urartian cities had a regular character, for example, in Zernakitepe. Apparently, a rectangular planning system also existed in Teishebaini. City builders sought to ensure that the boundaries of urban development coincided with natural obstacles (river, steep hillsides, etc.). The defensive systems of cities consisted of one, usually two, and sometimes three lines of walls. City walls, 3.5-4 m thick, were usually equipped with buttresses and massive projecting square towers.
Urartian palaces were of two types. The basis of the composition of the palace in Erebuni consists of two courtyards, around which there are premises for various purposes. One of the courtyards is surrounded by a colonnade, and all the most important rooms of the palace are grouped around it. The core of the second type of palaces are the columned halls. The palace complex of the western citadel of Argishtikhinili was divided into two parts: ceremonial residential and economic. The center of the front part was a large columned hall (two rows of ten columns). The temple architecture of Urartu is very diverse. The temple of the god Khaldi in Erebuni consists of a main oblong hall with a columned portico in front of it and two square rooms, one of which is a tower. This type is close to the Hurrian-Mitannian structures. The most common, however, is another type of temple: a square one-room building, erected on a platform, with corner projections and a tent-shaped crosshair. Another type of temple is known only from its reproduction on the relief. This is a famous Assyrian relief depicting the capture of Mutsatsir. The temple in Mutsatsir is reminiscent of ancient ones.
The monumental art of Urartu is represented by stone reliefs, round sculpture, and wall paintings. Stone sculpture is divided into two clearly distinguishable groups. One includes monuments of Urartian sculpture proper, associated with the art traditions of the ancient Near East. True, finds of this sculpture are very rare. In particular, a damaged statue made of gray basalt, found in Van and apparently depicting one of the first Urartian kings, has been preserved. Much more common is folk sculpture of the “traditional conventional style”, which continues the traditions of Bronze Age sculpture. Monumental reliefs are best known from finds in Adyldzhevaz, where a procession of gods was apparently represented.
Urartian wall painting is the most studied. The picturesque panels were arranged in the form of often alternating horizontal stripes - ornamental and pictorial. Urartian paintings are included in the general circle of Western Asian ancient monumental painting. They are characterized by great conventionality and canonicity, reflected in the use of certain stereotypes when depicting living beings and plants, the use of a certain, strictly limited set of themes (images of deities, kings, ritual scenes predominate), very strong symbolism that links together both pictorial and ornamental motives.
The Urartians achieved great mastery in applied arts, especially in the production of works of art from bronze. This was achieved, in particular, thanks to the high technical level of Urartian metalworking.
The works of Urartian toreutics were extremely popular. Their finds have been recorded in Asia Minor (in particular, in Gordion), on a number of islands of the Aegean Sea (Rhodes, Samos), on mainland Greece (Delphi, Olympia), even in Etruria. Vivid examples of Urartu art are ceremonial shields, helmets, and quivers that served as offerings to temples. They were decorated with relief scenes (images of horsemen, war chariots, and sometimes sacred scenes). During the excavations, a large amount of gold and silver jewelry of high artistic level was also found.
Urartian culture played an exceptional role in the subsequent destinies of the culture of the entire Near East. Its greatest achievements were adopted by Media, then by Achaemenid Iran and spread widely throughout the Near and Middle East.
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Many may still remember that in the school course “History of the USSR” Urartu was studied as “the most ancient state on the territory of the USSR.” Well, so it is, Urartu to this day remains the oldest known real state on the territory of the former Union. With its edge it captured part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and this was in the 8th century BC. By the way, next year, 2019, Yerevan will be able to rightfully celebrate its 2800th anniversary: the Urartian fortress of Erebuni within the city was built no later than 782 BC.
State of Urartu
We know about Urartu mainly from its own and from Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions.
The state of Urartu, which arose on the heights of the Armenian Highlands (now mostly the territory of Turkey), was first mentioned at the beginning of the 9th century BC. And the very first mentions speak of his wars with Assyria. Urartu showed stubborn resistance to the Assyrian conquests. A fierce struggle developed between the two kingdoms, in which Urartu at one time became a serious rival of Assyria for hegemony in the Middle East.
In 856 BC. The Assyrian troops of Shalmaneser III inflicted a major defeat on the Urartians, passed through their entire country, but did not (obviously could not) annex it to their possessions. Urartu recovered, became stronger and in 832 BC. repelled a new attack by the Assyrians.
Under King Minua at the very beginning of the 8th century BC. Intensive fortification construction is underway in Urartu. The Urartians conquered the small states of the Anatolian Highlands: Hatti, the Land of Mushki, etc., as well as in the Caucasus. The capital of Urartu is located in the city of Tushpa on Lake Van. Labor conscription was extended to the entire population, and many irrigation canals and water pipelines were built.
Minua's son, Argishti I, continued his father's activities. In particular, the Erebuni fortress was built under him. He finally conquered Hatti and the Taokh Country in the Caucasus (part of the modern territories of Armenia and Georgia). At the end of his reign, Argishti began to harass Assyria itself with his attacks.
Under the son of Argishti I, Sarduri II, the aggressive policy of Urartu acquired an even wider scope. Like all ancient Eastern peoples, the Urartians practiced the deportation of conquered peoples to the lands of their empire. During the reign of Sarduri, tens of thousands of prisoners were resettled in Urartu.
A decisive clash between Urartu and Assyria was becoming inevitable. Around 743 BC Urartu reached the peak of its power. The territory from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Urmia and from the upper reaches of the Kura to the mountains of present-day Iraqi Kurdistan came under his control. In the same year, the Assyrian army of Tiglath-pileser III inflicted a heavy defeat on the troops of Urartu and its allies on the Euphrates River north of Karchemish.
In 735 BC. The Assyrians invaded Urartu, reached its capital, but were unable to take it. Urartu was experiencing a serious crisis and was clearly heading towards decline. Under Sarduri II's successor, King Ruse I, the Cimmerians invaded Urartu from the north. Although the Urartians managed to repel the attack and divert the main stream of Cimmerians from themselves, the power of the state weakened even more. Separatist tendencies appeared on the outskirts.
In 714 BC. The Assyrian king Sargon II inflicted a painful defeat on the Urartians, taking their sacred city of Mutsatsir. At the beginning of the 7th century, under Rus II, Urartu temporarily strengthened. But even the fall of Assyria under the joint blow of Babylon and Media did not help Urartu regain its former power. A new danger from the north - the Scythians - greatly undermined all the then kingdoms of Asia Minor.
A new factor has appeared in the Middle East, which will dominate the politics of the region for centuries - the Iranians, initially in the form of the Median kingdom (later the Persian state will rise in its place). At the very end of the 7th century BC. The Medes subjugated Urartu, and at the very beginning of the 6th century they put an end to it, annexing it to their possessions. Urartian statehood ceased to exist forever, and at the same time the Urartian language disappeared from the surviving inscriptions.
The mystery of the language and origin of the Urartians
The Urartian language was deciphered thanks to bilinguals - parallel recording of the same texts in Assyrian (already known) and Urartian languages. The Urartians, like almost all the peoples of the Middle East at that time, used syllabic cuneiform writing.
According to the most developed version, the Urartian language is distantly related to Sumerian, and together with it shows signs of similarity with the languages of the Nakh-Dagestan group. The closest language to Urartian is the Hurrian language, which existed in approximately the same region slightly earlier than Urartian. He also disappeared. Both languages are united by linguists into the extinct Hurrito-Urartian language family.
It is very likely that if the Urartians were not autochthons of the Armenian Highlands, then they came from the north, from the Caucasus Mountains. A similar version is also expressed for the Hurrians and even for the Sumerians.
There is a hypothesis that the Urartians are the linguistic ancestors of the Armenians, but it is not shared by most researchers.
The mystery of the disappearance of the Urartians
The Urartians as a people disappear simultaneously with the fall of their statehood. From this we can conclude that the dominance of the Urartians in the Armenian Highlands did not have strong folk roots. Apparently, the Urartians were an alien conquering people who formed the ruling elite in the conquered lands.
The population subject to the Urartians was multilingual, but, judging by the further development of the region, Armenians predominated in it. Considering that, according to many sources, the Armenians were autochthons of this territory, they made up the bulk of the population of Urartu. The few Urartians disappeared into this population after they lost power.
Thus, if there are no related ties between the languages of the Armenians and the Urartians (there are only about 70 borrowing words from the Urartian language into ancient Armenian; however, the Urartian and Nakh-Dagestan languages have more than 160 common roots, which more definitely indicates a relationship), then part of the Urartian gene pool , undoubtedly contributed to the emerging Armenian nation.
The culture of Urartu was mixed, which reflects the multinational composition of the population of this power. The influence of neighboring Assyria was very noticeable.
The heyday of Urartian fine and decorative arts occurred at the end of the 9th - mid-8th centuries. BC e. A relatively small number of monuments have survived to this day. These are small bronze figurines, bowls and dishes, items of ceremonial weapons, jewelry, ceramic samples, and cylinder seals. It is known that the Urartians had monumental stone and bronze sculpture. In the ruins of the Erebuni fortress, miraculously preserved examples of wall frescoes were discovered (Fig. 4.3).
Urartian architecture is known from the ruins of palace complexes, temples and fortified cities (Erebuni, Teishebaini, etc.). Cut stone and mud brick were used as building materials. Artificial caves carved into the rock, built by the Urartians, are also known. Their purpose is unknown: perhaps they were used for religious purposes or served as tombs of Urartian kings. The technology for constructing defensive structures was at a very high level. There are very numerous remains of Urartian irrigation structures - canals, dams, and reservoirs - that have survived to this day.
The oldest monuments of Urartian writing date back to the 9th century. BC e. A simplified version of the Assyrian kli was used in Urartu ki
nopis. In addition, several dozen monuments of hieroglyphic writing have been preserved, which have not yet been fully deciphered. Writing, apparently, was not widespread in everyday life. The vast majority of Urartian inscriptions that have come down to us are of an official nature.
Rice. 4.3.
Not much information has been preserved about the religion of Urartu. It is known that it had many common features with the ancient religions of Mesopotamia (Assyrian and Babylonian), Asia Minor (Hurrian and Hittite), and Iran. The final formation of the state religion of Urartu probably occurred during the reign of King Ishpuini. Several dozen names of Urartian gods and goddesses are known. The first place among them is taken by Haldi. He was also revered in some regions of Assyria bordering Urartu. It is with an appeal to Khaldi that the vast majority of Urartian inscriptions begin. The main temple of the god Khaldi was located in the city of Musasir, southeast of Lake Van. Enormous wealth was accumulated in it: those who plundered the sanctuary in 714 BC. e. The Assyrians took from it a lot of gold, about 500 kg of silver and 109 tons of copper ingots, not counting other booty. Of the main deities of the Urartian pantheon, only Haldi appears to be of original Urartian origin. Along with him, they were especially revered
the storm and war god Teisheba (probably of Hurrian-Hittite origin) and the sun god Shivini (associated with Mesopotamian Shamash). Bulls, cows and sheep were sacrificed to these and other deities. Sometimes human sacrifices were also practiced. Deities were depicted in the guise of people, but often in their images one can find individual zoomorphic elements (for example, horns for gods and wings for goddesses). Very often there are images of gods standing on animals: Khaldi - on a lion, Teisheba - on a bull, etc. Written sources do not contain any information about Urartian mythology, however, monuments of fine art suggest that it had much in common with Assyrian and broader - from Mesopotamian.
25 Apr 2017 - 05:18As a result of the unification of eight local tribes in the south of the Armenian Highlands, the Uruatri tribal union was formed. In the 13th century BC. As a result of the Assyrian invasion, the country was destroyed and plundered.
Two centuries later, Uruatri regained its strength in the 9th century BC. In the basin of Lake Van, a strong political union emerges - the state of Urartu.
At the beginning of its existence, Urartu was a small state, barely holding back the onslaught of neighboring powerful Assyria. Having strengthened themselves, the rulers of Urartu began conquests and created one of the most powerful states of the ancient world, uniting almost the entire Armenian Highlands under their rule.
The Assyrians called this state Urartu, the Urartians themselves called their country Biaynili. The state formed in the Lake Van basin is called by historians the Kingdom of Van or Airarat.
Since 859 BC. Assyrian inscriptions mention the name of the first king of Urartu - Arame. The army of Shalmaneser III launched campaigns against him. Assyrian politicians probably already sensed a potential threat in the fledgling young state. However, these military actions did not affect the main regions of Urartu, and, contrary to the expectations of the kings of Assyria, the strengthening of the Armenian state continued.
The Urartian ruler Sarduri I (844-828 BC) had already formalized his ambitions. He adopted a pompous title borrowed from the Assyrian kings. This was a direct challenge to the power of the Assyrian power. The capital of the Urartian state was the city of Tushpa, located in the area of Lake Van. Impressive stone walls were built around it. At the western foot of the Van Rock, a fortress wall has been preserved, built from large imported stones, reaching a length of 6 meters and 1 meter in height. On this wall you can read inscriptions in Assyrian, which testify to the construction of the fortress by King Sarduri, the son of Lutipri.
Remains of a fortress built by Sarduri I
During the reign of Sarduri I, Assyrian raids could no longer reach the capital Urartu, but only disturbed the southern outskirts of the kingdom. Although in a direct clash the Urartian army lost to the Assyrian, the fortresses built by the Urartians no longer allowed the enemy to penetrate deep into the country. In addition, the harsh winter climate of the Armenian Highlands made the task more difficult for the Assyrians - they could carry out all offensive campaigns only in the summer and were now forced to carry heavy siege weapons with them. Under such conditions, the power of the Assyrian army was only sufficient for small successes. The power of Assyria in the region began to come to an end, and a new power in the Middle East began to flourish - the united Urartu.
At the end of the 9th century BC. e. the kingdom of Urartu was ruled by the son of Sarduri I Ishpuini (828-810 BC). Under him, the central power of Urartu was further strengthened. The borders of the kingdom are expanding: from the south, Urartu is joined by the territory between lakes Van and Urmia, as well as lands south of Lake Urmia; in the north, in Transcaucasia, successful military campaigns are being carried out to capture the fertile valley of the Araks River. There is also a “centralization” of the Urartian religion. The deities of individual tribes are united into a single pantheon, headed by the gods of the central part of the country: Khaldi, Teisheba and Shivini. During the same period, cuneiform tablets appeared in the Urartian language.
With the accession to the throne of Ishpuini’s son Menua (810-786 BC), massive construction work was carried out on the territory of the kingdom of Urartu - fortresses were built protecting the approaches to Van, palaces and temples in many Urartian settlements, as well as a canal , supplying water to the city of Tushpu, which has survived to this day. The period of Menua's reign overlaps with the reign of the famous Assyrian queen Semiramis. The lull in hostilities with Assyria was marked by the cultural influence of Assyria on Urartu. Although many buildings near Lake Van during Menua’s life, including the canal to Tushpa, were associated with his name, after some time they began to be associated with the name of Semiramis, since they were erected during her reign. The Armenian medieval historian Moses Khorensky cites legends about the personal participation of the queen in the construction of buildings near Van during the time of Menua. Under the reign of Menua, irrigation work was also intensively carried out throughout the country and the expansion of the Urartians continued to the north - in Transcaucasia, and to the southwest, where the borders of Urartu reached the middle reaches of the Euphrates.
The expansion of the borders of the Armenian kingdom to the south led to the fact that trade routes from Assyria to Asia Minor came under the control of the Urartians, which complicated the strategic position of the Assyrian kingdom, which had long supplied iron and horses from Asia Minor, and also made it difficult to transport horses from the country to the east of Lake Urmia. The ruler of Assyria Shalmaneser IV (Shulman-Ashared IV, reigned 783-772 BC) spent six of the ten years of his reign on campaigns against Urartu. By this time, Urartu was already ruled by the son of Menua, Argishti I, who, judging by written monuments, waged an intense struggle with Assyria at its northern borders and, in the end, emerged victorious, not allowing Shalmaneser IV to return to Assyria its lost influence in the border areas. territories. In addition, Argishti I made several successful campaigns to the southeast, to the area of Lake Urmia against the Mannaeans. The ruler of the Kingdom of Van also built new settlements and fortresses in Transcaucasia, on the territory of modern Armenia, in particular, he founded the city of Argishtikhinili (in the vicinity of modern Armavir), which for a long time remained the major administrative center of Urartu, and the city of Erebuni (the ancestor of modern Yerevan). The Erebuni fortress was later used by Urartian troops for campaigns deep into the region of Lake Sevan and to protect the Ararat Valley.
In 744 BC. e. In Assyria, neighboring Urartu, political changes took place. The relatively peaceful rulers Ashur-dan III (772-755 BC) and Ashur-nirari V (754-745 BC) were replaced by the decisive Tiglath-pileser III, who immediately began the struggle to restore Assyria to its past power in Western Asia. Tiglath-pileser III carried out a number of reforms in the army and began successful military operations on the western borders of the Kingdom of Van,
In 734 BC. Assyrian armed forces engage in battle with the Urartu-led coalition in Northern Syria near the city of Arpad. The allies are defeated, and Sarduri retreats to the indigenous lands of his power. In 735 BC. Tiglath-pileser III strikes at the very heart of the Urartian state, in the area of \u200b\u200bLake. Wang. A number of central regions were put to fire and sword.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Sarduri II remain unclear. After the defeat of the Urartian army, the state partially collapsed, and many previously conquered tribes rebelled against the central government. Rusa I, ascended the throne in 735 BC. e. - in difficult times for the state. However, thanks to decisive actions, he managed to preserve the statehood of Urartu and for a long time repel the onslaught of the Assyrian army. “With my two horses and my charioteer, with my hands I conquered the kingdom of Urartu,” engraved on the stele of Rus I. He suppressed uprisings in the regions of the country and for a long time wisely avoided confrontation with Assyria. During the reign of Shalmaneser V in Assyria, a truce was established between Urartu and Assyria. During the period of the truce, Rusa I devoted a lot of time to internal construction, especially in the area of the northern part of Lake Urmia, where through his efforts a large Urartian center arose - the city of Ulhu. In addition, Rusa I built the new capital of Urartu - Rusakhinili - on a rock a few kilometers from Tushpa.
In 722 BC. e. the more decisive and warlike Sargon II, the youngest son of Tiglath-pileser III, ascended the Assyrian throne. He overthrew his older brother Shalmaneser V and intended to restore Assyria to its former power. In 722-719 BC. e. years, Sargon II was busy with military operations in the west - in Syria and Palestine, and from 718 BC. e. concentrated on the north. The actions of Sargon II were always carefully prepared; in his residence, Dur-Sharrukin, cuneiform tablets with systematic intelligence reports from Urartu were preserved. Intelligence data was given great importance, and therefore the son of Sargon II, Sennacherib, who later became the king of Assyria, was appointed responsible for reports from Urartu. From 718 to 715 BC. e. Sargon II and Rusa I did not dare to engage in direct battles. Their struggle unfolded in the territory of the country of Manna, which lay east of Lake Urmia. Several times during this period, Sargon II captured the country of the Mannaeans and placed a king he liked on the throne, and Rusa I, in response, organized uprisings of the Mannaeans in favor of a king loyal to Urartu.
Finally, in 714 BC. e., Sargon II launched a carefully prepared campaign against the Kingdom of Van, immediately after receiving a report about the unsuccessful military campaign of Rusa I against the Cimmerians.
The campaign began with Manna, which the Assyrian troops easily took. Sargon II then moved further east, pursuing troops loyal to Urartu, but received information that Rusa I had amassed large forces in a mountain gorge east of Lake Urmia, from where he was preparing to attack the Assyrian army from the rear. Sargon II abruptly changed plans and moved towards the troops of the Urartian king. He managed to suddenly attack the Van camp at night, as a result of which the Urartu troops suffered a crushing defeat. Rusa I himself was forced to flee.
Sargon II was able to continue moving north, where he defeated the city of Ulhu and approached the shore of Lake Van. Based on intelligence data, Sargon II did not dare to move to Tushpa, but turned his army back, where he made a difficult trek through the forested mountains and suddenly appeared in Musasir, the religious center of the kingdom, for the Urartian forces. He destroyed and plundered both the city itself and the main temple of the god Khaldi. Rusa I, having learned about the events in Musasir, committed suicide. The exact route of Sargon II's campaign remains the subject of scientific debate: some researchers, following Thureau-Dangin, believe that the Assyrian army circled Lake Van from the north, others believe that Sargon II only circled Lake Urmia from the north.
At the end of the 8th century BC. e. Sargon II was killed as a result of a palace coup, after which Assyria plunged into turmoil associated with the confrontation with Babylonia and Media, which, in the end, 100 years later, in 609 BC. e., led to the death of the Assyrian state. In Urartu, meanwhile, the son of Rusa I, Argishti II (714 - ca. 685 BC), ascended the throne. The nature of relations between Assyria and Urartu after the campaign of Sargon II changed: the parties began to more often resolve conflict situations through negotiations, and Urartu, fearing new defeats, ceased to lay claim to the northern possessions or zones of influence of Assyria, both on the western side of the Euphrates and on the eastern shores of the lake Urmia. At the same time, the crisis in Assyria did not give it the opportunity to conduct significant military campaigns in the northern direction. Argishti II agreed to ransom the bronze “main” statue of the god Khaldi captured in Musasir from Assyria, as a result of which it returned to Urartu. During these years, Urartu's expansion was directed to the east - Argishti II advanced further than any other Urartian ruler.
Rusa II, son of Argishti II (c. 685 - c. 639 BC), who subsequently ascended the throne, took advantage of the long truce and devoted himself to capital construction. During the reign of Rusa II, a huge number of fortified cities, temples and other structures were built in Urartu. He built and founded the capital of Urartu - Rusakhinili, located in the vicinity of Tushpa.
After the death of Rusa II, the kingdom was ruled by Sarduri III (c. 639 - c. 625 BC), Sarduri IV (c. 625 - c. 620 BC), Erimena (c. 620 - c. 605 BC), and saw the death of Assyria, as well as Rus III (c. 605 - c. 595 BC) and Rus IV (c. 595 - c. 585 . BC) - the last king of Urartu.
During the reign of these kings, despite the deepening crisis in Assyria, Urartu did not resume attempts to take control of the strategic trade routes between Mesopotamia and Asia Minor until the end of its existence. Moreover, based on an analysis of the correspondence of Sarduri III with Ashurbanipal, some researchers believe that under Sarduri III, the son of Rusa II, Urartu was actually already a vassal state of Assyria.
During this period, the balance of power in Western Asia changed; both Urartu and Assyria had new dangerous opponents, who ultimately destroyed both states. Urartu was opposed by the Scythians and Cimmerians from the north, and the Medes from the southeast. The Medes destroyed most of the Urartian fortresses, including the capitals of the kingdom Tushpu and Rusakhinili, displacing the remnants of the Urartian army and the royal house in Transcaucasia. The capital of Urartu during this period moved to the city of Teishebaini located in Transcaucasia, and the final blow that destroyed Urartu was the destruction of this fortress. It has been suggested that Teishebaini was also destroyed by the Medes or Babylonians, but most scholars now believe that this was done by the Scythians and Cimmerians.
Inner life of Urartu
The kingdom of Van paid great attention to economic development, especially taking care of the construction of irrigation canals and the construction of reservoirs. Royal farms played a significant role in the economy. During the construction of Teishebaini, Rusa II built a canal and created extensive agricultural land. According to approximate data, Teishebaini's granaries and wine warehouses were designed for products obtained on an area of 4-5 thousand hectares. According to cuneiform inscriptions, the staff of the royal household in Rusakhinili was estimated at 5,500 people. On the royal farms, agricultural products were processed and craft workshops operated. Temple farms were of much less importance.
City building
The achievements of the Urartians in the field of culture were remarkable. The history of Urartu is the history of the urbanization of Transcaucasia. Cities, as a rule, were created at the foot of high hills, the tops of which were occupied by citadels. City builders sought to ensure that the boundaries of urban development coincided with natural obstacles (river, steep hillsides, etc.). Defensive systems consisted of one or two, and sometimes three, lines of walls. City walls, 3.5-4 meters thick, were usually equipped with buttresses and massive protruding square towers.
Art
Objects of Urartian art are thus found mainly in the center of the country, as well as near large Urartian cities. The heyday of Urartian art occurred during the peak years of the power of the state itself. Most of the finds of Urartian art are associated with the reigns of Menua, Argishti I and Sarduri II. The cultural proximity of Assyria and Urartu introduces certain difficulties in the study of Urartian art: many objects ended up in museums around the world not as a result of archaeological excavations, but after the resale of looted burial goods, so in many cases there are still discussions among scientists about which state should be attributed to this or that item. The art of Urartu arose under the strong influence of Assyria and was highly canonized, sometimes even stenciled]. Among the striking examples of Urartian art are fragments of a bronze royal throne, some of which ended up in the British Museum, and some in the Hermitage, as well as various bronze figurines, jewelry, weapons and elite horse harnesses. Many architectural structures of Urartu have preserved traces of bright colored painting, which was widespread. During the excavations, a large amount of gold and silver jewelry of high artistic level was also found.
Bronze figurine of a winged bull that adorned the left side of the Urartian royal throne, Hermitage. A similar figurine that adorned the right side of the same throne ended up in the British Museum.
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Population
The state of Urartu was located on a large highland located between Asia Minor, the northwestern outskirts of Iran and the Northern Mesopotamia. Thus, Urartu included quite significant regions of Transcaucasia - the territories of the Armenian SSR and Southern Georgia. The eastern part of Urartu was located between three large lakes - Van, Urmia and Sevan (Gokcha). The northern part of Urartu was located in the basin of the Araks and the southern tributaries of the Kura.
The territory of Urartu was protected on all sides by mountain ranges and therefore provided natural conveniences for successfully protecting the population from raids by neighboring tribes and predatory conquests, mainly by the Assyrian kings. The natural conditions of this country are quite diverse. The entire territory is cut by numerous mountain ranges, usually reaching a height of 2000-4000 m . Above them rise individual massifs and peaks covered with eternal snow (Great Ararat - 5156 m). The passes through these mountain ranges are located quite high and are often covered with snow in winter. In the Middle Caucasus, only very few passes are located below 3 thousand m .
The mountains are covered with meadows and partly with forest, and the upper boundary of the forest is at a fairly high altitude, approximately from 2500 to 2600 m above sea level. Thus, in the Ararat region, forests are found at an altitude of up to 2,500 m. The valleys of large rivers - Araks and Aratsani - in some places expand to quite significant fertile lowlands (Ararat Plain, Mush Lowland). Some highlands are steppes, in some places turning into semi-deserts. These large areas, despite the presence of springs, are almost devoid of vegetation and have little fertility. But in those places where the population has created an irrigation system, the soil makes it possible for people to engage in farming. A distinctive feature of the nature of the Armenian Highlands is the presence of a number of lakes, among which lakes Urmia and Van have no flow and therefore have salty water (the water of Lake Urmia has 14-23% salt). Lake Sevan (Gokcha) lies at a high altitude; Having a drainage, it is distinguished by its fresh water and abounds in fish. The main natural resources of Urartu are stone, timber and metals. Of particular importance were the deposits of copper, iron, lead and tin, which determined the high development of metallurgy.
In the second millennium BC. On the territory of Transcaucasia and adjacent regions of Asia Minor, Northern Mesopotamia and the mountainous regions northeast of the Tigris lived tribes that were part of the family of the most ancient peoples of the northern part of Western Asia. These tribes were related to the Proto-Hittites and Hurrians. In Assyrian inscriptions there are a number of names that served to designate the mountainous country located to the north and northeast of Assyria proper and the numerous tribes that inhabited it. The names most often mentioned are “Nairi” and “Uruatri” (Urartu), which covered vast territories and a number of tribes united in alliances. It is possible that the name “Nairi” is related to the word “Naharina”, with which the Egyptians and Semitic tribes of Syria and Palestine designated the “country of rivers” that lay to the northeast of the middle reaches of the Euphrates.
The Urartu formed a union of Uruatri tribes, which then turned into the powerful state of Urartu. Reactionary bourgeois historians claim that the Urartians came from the west as a result of a large resettlement (migration) of peoples. However, this theory of migration cannot be proven based on documents. The inscriptions do not preserve any direct and accurate data about the legendary “ancestral home” of the Urartians, located to the west or anywhere far from Transcaucasia. On the other hand, ancient and modern geographical names of mountains, lakes and tribes of Transcaucasia go back to deep Urartian antiquity. For example, the name of Mount Ararat and the Alarodian tribes, mentioned by ancient Greek writers, is obviously associated with the name of the country of Urartu and the Urartu tribe. The ancient name of the country Biaina is preserved in the designation of Lake Van. It is possible that in the area of Erzerum and the upper reaches of the Euphrates there lived a tribe of Diaukhi, close to the Urartians, which ancient Greek historians, such as Xenophon, called Taochians. Thus, the Urartian tribes were the original population of Transcaucasia, firmly living in this territory since ancient times.
The economic life, tribal unions, ancient states (Diaukhs, Urartians, Maneans), culture, religion and language of the ancient Urartians were undoubtedly connected with the life of neighboring peoples, the Hittites, Hurrians and, mainly, the ancient peoples of Transcaucasia. This is clearly evidenced by both inscriptions and especially archaeological monuments, for example, painted ceramics from Kizyl-Vank, which indicate that tribes lived in Transcaucasia since ancient times in conditions of a settled agricultural life. However, the entire culture of the Urartians had a clearly distinctive character and developed completely independently.
The Urartian tribes were quite possibly related to the tribes that inhabited the northern part of Western Asia at a later time. Soviet scientists in their studies showed that the Armenians are the descendants and heirs of one of the tribes that inhabited Transcaucasia in the last period of the existence of the Urartian state, decisively rejecting the statements of bourgeois historians who proved the arrival of Armenians in Transcaucasia from Western Europe. In various regions of the Georgian SSR and, to a large extent, in Armenia, ruins of Urartian settlements, Urartian inscriptions and monuments of material culture were found, which clearly indicate that the culture of the modern peoples of Transcaucasia in its ancient origins dates back to the Urartian era. It is very possible that the ancestors of the ancient Armenians and Georgians were tribes related and close to the ancient Urartians.
The language and culture of the Urartu people influenced neighboring peoples, as well as those peoples who subsequently inhabited the territory of the state of Urartu. The Assyrians borrowed some Urartian words. The dialects of the Armenians living near lakes Van and Urmia to this day have retained some closeness to the phonetic structure of the Urartian language. At the same time, the relationship of the Urartian language with the Kartvelian languages, which are still spoken by the population of Georgia, was established. The modern languages of the peoples of Transcaucasia go back to the period of the tribal system. At this time, the basic vocabulary and grammatical structure of the languages of the ancient peoples of Transcaucasia, close and related to the Urartian tribes, emerged. Thus, on the territory of the USSR there was an ancient center of a unique and completely original culture created by the creativity of the Urartian and related peoples of Transcaucasia, who were part of the group of the most ancient peoples of the northern part of Western Asia.