ARCHEOLOGY

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Jan 27 2025

 

6th-Century BC Houses and Earthquake Evidence Discovered in Davti Blur, an Urartian Fortress City in Armenia

 

An Armenian-Polish archaeological team has uncovered remnants of 6th-century BC houses, a cremation cemetery, and signs of a significant earthquake at the ancient site of Davti Blur in Armenia.

Excavations at Davti Blur, located in Nor Armavir, resumed in October 2024 after a long hiatus as part of a new Armenian-Polish research project. The initiative is led by Dr. Mateusz Iskra from the Mediterranean Archaeology Center at the University of Warsaw and Hasmik Simonyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, along with the Cultural Heritage Protection and Museum Reserves Service.

Translated as “David’s Hill,” this site is a testament to the historical grandeur of the Kingdom of Urartu and offers invaluable insights into the cultural and architectural legacy of a civilization that flourished in the South Caucasus millennia ago.

 

Davti Blur is part of the ancient settlement of Argisztihinili, established in 774 BC. During the 8th and 7th centuries BC, this site served as a vital administrative and economic hub of the Kingdom of Urartu. Among its remarkable structures are a well-preserved citadel and a residential district, which, according to earlier studies, housed substantial dwellings belonging to the local elite.

An Armenian-Polish archaeological team has uncovered remnants of 6th-century BC houses, a cremation cemetery, and signs of a significant earthquake at the ancient site of Davti Blur in Armenia.

Excavations at Davti Blur, located in Nor Armavir, resumed in October 2024 after a long hiatus as part of a new Armenian-Polish research project. The initiative is led by Dr. Mateusz Iskra from the Mediterranean Archaeology Center at the University of Warsaw and Hasmik Simonyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, along with the Cultural Heritage Protection and Museum Reserves Service.

Translated as “David’s Hill,” this site is a testament to the historical grandeur of the Kingdom of Urartu and offers invaluable insights into the cultural and architectural legacy of a civilization that flourished in the South Caucasus millennia ago.

 

Davti Blur is part of the ancient settlement of Argisztihinili, established in 774 BC. During the 8th and 7th centuries BC, this site served as a vital administrative and economic hub of the Kingdom of Urartu. Among its remarkable structures are a well-preserved citadel and a residential district, which, according to earlier studies, housed substantial dwellings belonging to the local elite.

Recent excavations have unveiled remnants of houses dating back to the 6th century BC, a period marking the decline of the Kingdom of Urartu. The walls of these structures, impressively thick at nearly 1.5 meters, have been remarkably preserved. Moreover, excavations revealed fragments of floors belonging to two rooms, whose exact purposes remain undetermined.

 

 “These were not fortification walls but rather the walls of two residential houses, which turned out to be very well preserved,” Dr. Mateusz Iskra described.

Surprisingly, the archaeologists also discovered evidence of a cremation cemetery. “The deceased were cremated, and their fragmented bones, along with parts of the funeral pyre and ornaments, were placed in urns. These urns were typically covered with a shallow dish and placed in rock niches, covered with a thin layer of soil,” Dr. Iskra detailed.

As a result, such artifacts are relatively easy to uncover, even for amateur treasure hunters. The team found evidence of illegal activity, including scattered and broken urns and smaller artifacts at the former cemetery site.

Despite the damage inflicted by looters and metal detectors, researchers successfully recovered several intact artifacts, including an urn adorned with a decorative plate, which has been preliminarily dated to the first half of the 7th century BC. Additionally, a variety of metal items associated with the clothing of the deceased were also uncovered.

 

“We managed to find an intact urn covered with a stamped dish. Thanks to the distinctive pottery mark, we can already date this burial to the first half of the 7th century BC,” Dr. Iskra stated.

A team from the University of Warsaw’s Department of Geology, led by Professor Barbara Woronko, also worked on-site. Preliminary investigations revealed fault lines characteristic of an earthquake. Initial data suggest that this was a highly destructive and powerful event, but it is too early to determine its exact timing.

Findings made in the fortress city of the kingdom of Urartu. Credit: Matthew Iskra / Davti Blur Excavation

The second season of excavations is planned for May and June 2025. Hasmik Simonyan announced that the researchers aim to continue mapping the site.

 

Simonyan highlighted the ambitious vision of transforming Davti Blur into a vibrant archaeological reserve that welcomes tourists, complemented by educational programs designed to foster a deeper appreciation among the Armenian population for the significance of preserving their rich cultural heritage.

PAP

https://arkeonews.net/6th-century-bc-houses-and-earthquake-evidence-discovered-in-davti-blur-an-urartian-fortress-city-in-armenia/

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BREAKING: 2,500-Year-Old Urartu Kingdom City Discovered In Armenia, Revealing A Forgotten Ancient Empire

https://zartonkmedia.com/2025/01/29/breaking-2500-year-old-urartu-kingdom-city-discovered-in-armenia-revealing-a-forgotten-ancient-empire/

 

A team of archaeologists from Poland and Armenia has completed the first season of research at Davti Blur, an ancient site of historical significance in Armenia’s Armavir province. Known as “David’s Hill,” the site is part of Argisztihinili, a major administrative and urban center founded in 774 BCE during the Kingdom of Urartu, reports NaukawPolsce.

This marks the first-ever Polish-led research at the site. The excavation resumed in October 2024 after a long hiatus as part of a new Polish-Armenian research project to investigate the residential areas of Argisztihinili, which remain largely unexplored despite previous excavations.

The project is co-directed by Dr. Mateusz Iskra, head of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the Polish Center for Mediterranean Archaeology (PCMA) at the University of Warsaw, and Hasmik Simonyan from Armenia’s Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences, along with the Cultural Heritage Protection and Museum Reserves Service.

Their goal is to uncover new details about daily life in the South Caucasus thousands of years ago, reconstruct the history of the city, and analyze the impact of climate change on life in Argisztihinili between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE.

Argisztihinili: A Major Urartian City and Regional Power

Founded by King Argishti I atop Davti Blur hill in 774 BCE, Argisztihinili was one of Urartu’s most significant settlements, a key administrative and economic hub of the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.

Urartu, centered near Lake Van, was a powerful rival of the Assyrian Empire, engaging in long-standing conflicts over control of Syria and southern Anatolia. By the late 9th and 8th centuries BCE, Urartian conquests expanded the kingdom’s borders from Lake Urmia in the east to Lake Sevan in the north and the Taurus and Zagros Mountains in the south.

Read the full article on ZartonkMedia.com

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Italian Experts to Restore Garni Temple Bathhouse in Armenia

Italian specialists have been enlisted to restore the historic bathhouse of the Garni Temple in Armenia, a project aimed at preserving one of the country’s most significant cultural landmarks.

The Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports is collaborating with leading Italian restoration experts to reinforce and restore the ancient bathhouse’s mosaic and implement modern architectural solutions for its covering.

Renowned Italian architect Lucio Speca first proposed a restoration plan in 2019, submitting a “Project for the Valuation and Restoration of the Garni Bath” to the ministry.

The plan outlines critical conservation measures, including structural reinforcements and mosaic preservation.

Under a 2024 agreement, the restoration work will be carried out by L’Opificio delle Pietre Dure, a prestigious Italian institute specializing in research and the restoration of monumental art. The project is being supported by the Italian Embassy in Armenia.

Italian specialists began on-site measurements in early 2024, with further visits scheduled for April-May 2025 to conduct additional assessments and collect test samples. The full restoration of the bathhouse’s mosaic and replacement of its covering are expected to commence later in 2025.

The Garni Temple, dating back to the 1st century AD, is Armenia’s only surviving Greco-Roman colonnaded structure and a major tourist attraction. The bathhouse, known for its intricate mosaics and historical significance, is a key feature of the temple complex. Authorities hope the collaboration with Italian experts will ensure its preservation for future generations.

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World-Renowned Italian Experts Begin Restoring Ancient 3rd-Century Roman-Era Mosaic at Garni Bathhouse in Armenia

Italian specialists from the prestigious Opificio delle Pietre Dure Institute in Florence have been restoring the most endangered sections of the Garni bathhouse mosaic since September 1. Some parts of the artwork have been cleaned, several areas reinforced, and additional conservation measures implemented. They also analyzed materials from restoration efforts conducted about 30 years ago to assess the durability and suitability of previous binding agents. Following partial repairs, the mosaic will be conserved, with further work planned in October after additional studies.

Specialists from Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports on Monday visited the Garni Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve in Kotayk Province to review ongoing restoration work on the site’s Roman-era bathhouse mosaic. The visit allowed Armenian experts to observe firsthand the conservation techniques being applied.

The restoration of the ancient mosaic floors is being carried out by experts from the prestigious Opificio delle Pietre Dure Institute in Florence, internationally recognized for its excellence in cultural conservation. This three-year project involves not only the reconstruction of the intricate floor mosaics but also comprehensive structural work to preserve the architectural integrity of the entire complex. In March 2024, Italian specialists conducted preliminary research and on-site measurements, laying the foundation for the active restoration phase now underway.

In May 2025, Armenian authorities began formal cooperation with leading Italian experts for the restoration of the Garni Temple bathhouse. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports announced that it had delegated the restoration project following an earlier plan developed in 2019 by Italian architect Lucio Speca. Speca’s plan, titled “Revaluing and Restoring the Garni Bathhouse,” outlined the restoration and reinforcement of the mosaic floors and the replacement of the bathhouse cover with modern architectural solutions. Given the significance of the Garni Temple and its bathhouse, and the methodology proposed by Speca, the ministry initiated negotiations with the Italian side, culminating in a 2024 agreement to implement the mosaic restoration through L’Opificio delle Pietre Dure, with the support of the Italian Embassy in Armenia. The institute, a specialized body of Italy’s Ministry of Culture for the research and restoration of monumental art, conducted on-site measurements in 2024 and continued the process with sampling in April–May 2025. The restoration work officially commenced in 2025.

Armenian restorers from the Service for the Protection of the Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves are actively participating in the project, gaining practical experience to support the site’s long-term preservation. Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and strongly supported by the Italian Embassy in Armenia, the project safeguards a vital part of Armenia’s cultural heritage while strengthening cultural exchange between the two countries, representing Italy’s contribution to the preservation of global historical treasures.

The bathhouse of the Garni Temple dates back to the third century CE.

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https://www.facebook.com/301arm/posts/pfbid027jQA77RJVsMpdV8x67ddqewUgarbSN6XjgFNnmzTYBM4BRP9w7Aanx7J499c4j81l

 

Major discoveries from Armenia’s 2025 archaeological season were unveiled on March 24, 2026, shedding new light on the region’s deep past.

At the center of attention was a newly identified Neolithic settlement in Yerevan’s Silikyan district. Led by archaeologist Hakob Simonyan, excavations uncovered an architectural complex of approximately 34 stone-built rooms, along with tools from a developed stone industry. Researchers believe this may be the oldest known settlement in the area, dating back around 15,000 years.

Equally significant were findings from the extensive “Ghrer” burial field spanning the Aragatsotn and Armavir regions. Covering roughly 300 hectares near sites such as Voskehat and Aghavnatun, the area includes burials from the Chalcolithic, Early and Late Bronze Age, and the Hellenistic period. Excavations conducted between June and November 2025 yielded a wide range of artifacts, including clay vessels, bronze daggers, gold and carnelian beads, a silver coin, ritual objects and obsidian tools. In total, more than 80 sites were studied, including over 60 burials, ritual structures and a section of an ancient roadway.

Research also highlighted early medieval rock-cut Christian complexes in the Kasakh Gorge, located between Hovhannavank and Saghmosavank. The area is rich in spiritual and architectural heritage, featuring sites such as the Red Monastery, the Hermitage of Gregory the Illuminator, and newly documented cave structures.

At Lori Fortress near Stepanavan, rescue excavations revealed new details about the medieval city. Archaeologists uncovered sections of a bathhouse overlooking the Dzoraget Gorge, complete with water systems, as well as a paved roadway constructed from reused stone fragments. Among the notable finds were fragments of a rare decorative tile depicting a peacock, which are now set for restoration.

The presentation brought together archaeologists, architects and researchers, sparking discussion on preservation and ongoing restoration efforts. Armenia’s past continues to emerge through systematic study and excavation.

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