Old Armenian Nation

[HyeFedayis]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Hayasaa.jpg

 

By Igor Diakonov

 

The Old Armenian nation was formed in the Upper Euphrates valley from three components-the Hurrians, the Luwians, and the Proto-Armenians. moreover the Hurrians and later the Urartians constituted the main mass of the nation and determined the basic line of biological succession while the language of the nation, because of certain historical situation was taken over from the Proto-Armenians. Less significant apparently was the contribution of the Luwians. This process began in the 12th century B.C. and in the western part of the Highland was completed by the 6th century B.C.

 

When in the 6th century and the Old Persian and Greek sources begin to mention the "Armenians" and "Armenia" the first of these terms is applied either to the entire population of the Highland or to the newly formed Old Armenian nation in the western part of the Armenian Highland (thus Herodotus).