Bone remains from a bronze age archaeological site in Metsamor, Armenia.
Archaeologists from the University of Warsaw (Institute of Archaeology) discovered evidence of destruction and capture of the ancient city of Metsamor, one of the most famous archaeological sites in Armenia. Metsamor was essentially a Bronze Age cityΒ that at its heyday (from the 4thΒ to the 2ndΒ millennium BCE) occupiedΒ more than 10 hectares of land and was surrounded by wallsΒ made of huge stones, often weighing several tons each. The central part of the fortress was surrounded by temple complexes with seven shrines. It was an important earlyΒ center of metallurgy on an industrial scale, religiousΒ worship and sky observation.
“In the entire area of research we found layers of burning and ash.”Β – saidΒ Krzysztof Jakubiak, head of the project.Β Other findings of the archaeologists are evidence of fierce fighting and cruelty. Among them is a skeleton of aΒ 30-year-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” – addedΒ Dr. Jakubiak.
Jakubiak believes the destruction might have beenΒ brought upon the city by kingΒ Argishti I who also founded Armenia’s capitol city of Yerevan (Erebuni) in 782 BCE. The period was especially marked with regional turmoil. Argishti I with his distinctive Indo-European Armenian name (derived from “Areg” – sun deity) [1] had perhaps placed the cityΒ under control of his lordship.Β ItΒ continued to be a major siteΒ duringΒ the Araratian (Urartu) period (9th to 6th centuries BCE), and was continuously populatedΒ during subsequent Armenian kingdomsΒ well intoΒ the Middle Ages.
Excavations at the Metsamor archaeologicalΒ reserve have been conducted for almost 50 years, mostly under the guidance of Emma Khanzadian. SomeΒ of the most remarkableΒ discoveries have been madeΒ at the sight, including the world’s oldest metal smelting foundry.
Two plaques (from the 2nd millennium BCE) showing wild animals bear traces of some of the early cultural and artistic expressions as a link between the present and the distant past. At the hip ofΒ eachΒ animal we can clearly distinguishΒ illustrationsΒ ofΒ rotating crosses (solar symbols) that to date are considered one of the most recognizableΒ symbols ofΒ Armenian culture, under the name “Ker-khach” – curved cross, or “Areva-khach” – sun cross, commonly known as the Armenian Wheel of Eternity.
Below some more image from the archaeological site:
[1]Β Petrosyan, Armen – The Indo-european and ancient Near Eastern sources of the Armenian epic, 2002, Institute for the study of Man
