Artaxata

Արտաշատ

Armenia · Ararat

Ancient cityExcavation ongoing
Approximate period800 BCE — 1,300 CEUrartian, Hellenistic, Roman and Early Christian periods See on the map ↓

In brief

The ancient city near Khor Virap was one of the capitals of the Kingdom of Armenia during the Hellenistic period. Excavations uncovered defensive walls, residential areas, Roman aqueduct foundations and an early Christian church.

What was found?

  • 1Octagonal church

    An octagonal church with cross-shaped extensions has been uncovered. According to researchers, the 4th-century structure is the oldest archaeologically documented church in Armenia.

  • 2Remains of wooden platforms

    The wooden platforms in the church's extensions have been radiocarbon-dated to the middle of the 4th century AD. They provide direct evidence supporting the building's early date.

  • 3Imported marble fragments

    According to researchers, the marble finds in the church were brought from the Mediterranean. They indicate that the building was richly decorated.

  • 4Roman aqueduct foundations

    Foundation blocks of the arched watercourse dating to the reign of Emperor Traianus have been found. According to researchers, the project could not be completed because Rome lost the province of Armenia.

  • 5Potsherds with seal impressions

    Potsherds with seal impressions indicating a date before the Hellenistic period have been found. According to researchers, these support the possibility of an earlier Urartu settlement and a centralized economy.

What does it point to?

The finds from Artashat make visible settlement predating the Hellenistic capital and subsequent connections with Rome and Christianity. According to researchers, the church's plan and imported marble reflect architectural and material connections with the Eastern Mediterranean.

What did it teach us?

  1. Documented 4th-century church architecture with datable wooden remains.
  2. Revealed the presence of the octagonal church plan in early Armenia.
  3. The unfinished aqueduct showed Rome's infrastructure initiative in the city.
  4. Pottery with seal impressions provided new evidence of settlement before the Hellenistic foundation.

Images

ARTAXATA antique Franck Devedjian fecit 2017
Franck devedjian · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Latest news / selected archive

In 2024, the discovery of an octagonal church was announced, with remains of wooden platforms radiocarbon-dated to the mid-fourth century.

Record

Culture
Urartu; Artaxiad and Arsacid Armenia; Rome
Team / historical
Achim Lichtenberger, Mkrtich Zardaryan and Torben Schreiber; University of Münster and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
Coordinates
39.8866°, 44.5794°

Sources

  1. uni-muenster.de
  2. uni-muenster.de
  3. iae.am
  4. silver.kbr.be

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