2,500-year-old houses discovered in Urartu, Armenia

[FfFfFfFF 58,488]

In the fall of 2024, a joint team of Polish and Armenian archaeologists resumed excavations at Davti Blur, an ancient site located in Nor Armavir, Armenia.

This site, which in Armenian means “David’s Hill,” not only bears witness to the historical wealth of the Kingdom of Urartu but also offers a glimpse into the cultural and architectural remnants of a civilization that thrived in the South Caucasus thousands of years ago.

During recent work, the team uncovered remains of houses dating to the 6th century BC, during the decline of the Kingdom of Urartu. The walls of these houses, nearly 1.5 meters thick, were remarkably well-preserved. Moreover, excavations revealed fragments of floors belonging to two rooms, whose exact purposes remain undetermined.

One of the most surprising discoveries was a cemetery where bodies were cremated, and the ashes, along with bone fragments and elements of funerary goods, were placed in urns. These urns were covered with stamped ceramic plates and placed in niches carved into the rock, protected by a thin layer of soil.

Despite damage caused by looters and metal detectors, researchers managed to recover intact items, such as an urn covered with a decorated plate, which allowed for its preliminary dating to the first half of the 7th century BC. Numerous metal artifacts related to the attire of the deceased were also found.

Source: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/01/6th-century-bc-houses-and-evidence-of-an-earthquake-in-a-fortress-city-of-the-ancient-kingdom-of-urartu-found-in-armenia/