An ancient human footprint from the Iron Age kingdom of Van (also known as Urartu / Ararat) was recently discovered at a castle in the historic Armenian city of Van (today part of Turkey). The footprint, measuring some 26 centimeters long and fitting a modern shoe size of 36, was found at Van Castle...
World’s oldest surviving melody was composed by Armenian ancestors 3400 years ago
The 3400 year old hymn, is the oldest known fragment of noted music so far discovered in history. It was created by an anonymous Hurrian artist in 1400 BC. and dedicated to the goddess of orchards. At the time, the Armenians from the region of Van were known to their Hittite and Assyrian neighbors...
1500 year old Armenian Karas was confiscated during military operations in Eastern Turkey
Turkish media is recently reporting on how the Turkish military has stumbled upon a 1.500 year-old Karas during anti-Kurdish operations in historic Western Armenia. The discovery was reportedly made at a house of a Kurdish PKK member. The military operations are therefore labeled “anti-terror operations” in Turkish media. Daily Sabah reports: Gendarmerie forces carrying out...
Dogs in Ancient Armenia
It is not a secret that the Armenian Highlands have played a vital role in the spread of agriculture and domestication of animals. Among the many animals that have accompanied the early inhabitants of the Armenian Highlands, the dog in particular has a special place in Armenian history and culture. As the inhabitants of the highlands...
The Enigmatic Stars of Artsakh
It’s well known that Artsakh (a.k.a. Nagorno-Karabakh) is a magical place. From the heaven reaching mountains to the unexplored caverns that hold secrets to human evolution and countless archaeological sights, Artsakh is unique in many ways. But not many have probably heard of the little star-shaped stones that, according to a local legend, are raining...
Ruins of a 3000 year old Armenian castle found in Lake Van – Turkey
A team of Turkish archaeologists has discovered the remains of what is believed to be a 3,000-year-old castle from the Armenian kingdom of Urartu (Ararat) submerged underwater in Lake Van. The underwater excavations were led by Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and the governorship of Turkey’s eastern Bitlis Province. The castle is said to belong to the...
Yerevan turns 2799, Congratulation!
Yerevan is the capital and the largest city in the Republic of Armenia and one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Today marks the 2799th anniversary of the foundation of the capital city of Erebuni-Yerevan. Celebrations in its honor will be held in the capitol with music, dances life performances and various other cultural activities. Founded by the...
The Milk Revolution: How people from the Armenian Plateau brought milk to Europe
The Armenian Highlands was an important center of early human technological and agricultural inventions. Situated at the crossroads between Europe, Middle East and Asia it served as a geographic conduit for the spread of technology and genetics into Europe during the Neolithic revolution when humans first abandoned hunting and gathering and started to settle down....
A New Study Reveals 8000 Years of Genetic Continuity in Armenia
That the Armenians are an indigenous people of the Armenian Highlands has already been well established by prominent studies in the field of genetics. Haber et. al. (2015) for example could not find any traces of admixture among Armenians for at least 4000 years, concluding that: “Our tests suggest that Armenians had no significant mixture...
Ancient Egyptians were closer to Armenians than to Africans; a new genetics study reveals
A recent study sheds light on the age old question “who were the ancient Egyptians?” A team of international scientists from the University of Tuebingen and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany analyzed the DNA of 93 Egyptian mummies dating from approximately 1400 BCE to 400 CE. The...
