Prehistoric Armenia

History of Armenia
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Prehistory 2400 BC - 590 BC
Name of Armenia
Hayk
Hayasa-Azzi
Nairi  · Urartu
Antiquity 591 BC - 428 AD
Orontid Armenia
Kingdom of Armenia
Kingdom of Sophene
Kingdom of Commagene
Lesser Armenia
Roman Armenia
Dynasties:
Orontid · Artaxiad · Arsacid
Middle Ages 429 - 1375
Marzpanate Period
Byzantine Armenia
Sassanid Armenia
Arab conquest of Armenia
Emirate of Armenia
Bagratid Armenia
Kingdom of Vaspurakan
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
Zakarid Armenia
Dynasties:
Bagratid  · Rubenid  · Artsruni
Foreign Rule 1376 - 1918
Persian · Ottoman · Russian
Principality of Khachen
Armenian Oblast
Armenian national movement
Hamidian massacres
Armenian Genocide
Contemporary 1918 - present
Democratic Republic of Armenia
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic
Nagorno-Karabakh War
Republic of Armenia
Armenia Portal v d e

The Armenian Highland shows traces of settlement from the Neolithic era. The Shulaveri-Shomu culture of the central Transcaucasus region is one of the earliest known prehistoric culture in the area, carbon-dated to roughly 6000 - 4000 BC. Another early culture in the area is the Kura-Araxes culture, assigned to the period of ca. 4000 - 2200 BC, succeeded by the Trialeti culture (ca. 2200 - 1500 BC).

Excavation campaigns

Revue archeologique issued a report by M. de Morgan, on his excavations, and says:

I have carefully explored the prehistoric necropoli of the mountains of Russian Armenia especially those situated in the forests of the Lelwar, near the well known copper mines in the countries of Akthala, Allahverdi, Tehamlouq, Privolnick, etc. By examining with care the neighborhood of the copper iron made its first appearance in these regions but my excavations proved bronze industry, I have discovered only tombs with iron weapons^[1]

Bronze Age

The main object of early Assyrian incursions into Armenia was to obtain metals. The iron-working age followed that of bronze everywhere, opening a new epoch of human progress. Its influence is noticeable in Armenia, and the transition period is well marked. Tombs whose metal contents are all of bronze are of an older epoch. In most of the cemeteries explored, both bronze and iron furniture were found, indicating the gradual advance into the Iron Age.

Iron Age

The territory of the Armenian language appears to have been roughly coincidental with Hurrian and closely related Urartian (with Dark shading). The poorly known and presumably related non-IE Etio language was to its north. Many of these languages occupied partially or wholly the earlier territory of the Kuro-Araxes culture (light shading). The nearest IE neighbors of the Armenians were the Hittites (and related Luvians and Palaic-speaking populations) who were not closely related to Armenian. Assyrian and Gutian are non IE languages. Burials with wheeled vehicles have been uncovered at Trialeti and Lchashen. ^[2]

References

See also

• Mount Ararat
• Armenian hypothesis
• Karahunj
• Hayk
• Hayasa-Azzi
• Nairi (people)
• Prehistoric Georgia
• Prehistory of Anatolia

External links

• Prehistoric Sites in Northern Armenia
• World archaeologists have an avid interest in prehistoric Armenia

v d e History of Anatolia

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