| Revision as of 16:48, 13 June 2007 view source63.43.66.102 (talk) Armenians didnt migrate, read some discussions I read in Talk:Armenia, and you said 400 years before Herodotus, where is that record to claim that???← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:18, 2 July 2007 view source Ghirlandajo (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers89,657 edits Undid revision 137932585 by 63.43.66.102 (talk)Next edit → | ||
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| According to one theory, Aratta included the Northwest of ] and present-day ]. Its borders were purportedly from the ] mountains to the ], and from the ] to the ]. | According to one theory, Aratta included the Northwest of ] and present-day ]. Its borders were purportedly from the ] mountains to the ], and from the ] to the ]. | ||
| Aratta is thought to be related to the later ] |
Aratta is thought to be related to the later ], because of its geographical location and name. The name also resembles ], and the mountain is indeed located in the possible area of Aratta. | ||
| Aratta is often mentioned by modern historians in connection with the later regional powers of ], ] and the ]. Its legendary capital city may have been ], site of a little Parthian era castle recently discovered (in April 2005) near the river ] (along the ]-Iran-Azerbaijan border). However, the castle is firmly dated to the Atropatene (c. 300 BC) and Parthian (c. 200 BC) eras, thousands of years after the mysterious references to ''Aratta'' in Sumerian inscriptions. | Aratta is often mentioned by modern historians in connection with the later regional powers of ], ] and the ]. Its legendary capital city may have been ], site of a little Parthian era castle recently discovered (in April 2005) near the river ] (along the ]-Iran-Azerbaijan border). However, the castle is firmly dated to the Atropatene (c. 300 BC) and Parthian (c. 200 BC) eras, thousands of years after the mysterious references to ''Aratta'' in Sumerian inscriptions. | ||
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| :''See also'':] | :''See also'':] | ||
| ==Harappan hypothesis== | |||
| The 'land of Aratta' in the Sumerian sources has also been speculated to have been part of the ] area. There was also a kingdom in this general region mentioned in the '']'' and other Indian epic literature, known as 'Aratta' or 'Arashtra', taken to be Sanskrit for "without a king", but it is unknown whether this is the same as the Aratta of the Sumerian texts, or if there were ever any connection between the two. | |||
| == Notes and References == | == Notes and References == | ||
Revision as of 19:18, 2 July 2007
Aratta was an ancient state formation of renown somewhere in the Middle East or South Asia, since ca. 2500-2100 BC. It is mentioned in the oldest Sumerian legends, particularly Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, as being a wealthy, mountainous, up-river country ruled by a king called Ensuh-keshdanna, who is engaged in competition with Enmerkar, ruler of Uruk. The two main candidates for Aratta's identity are the mountainous region of later Urartu, and the newly-discovered Jiroft civilization in southeast Iran.
Aratta was known for its stone, metals, craftsmen and artisans. It was also a source of silver, gold and lapis lazuli. The goddess Inanna is said to have transferred her allegiance as consort, from Aratta to Uruk, playing a role something like that of a kingmaker.
Mentions in Sumerian literature
There are four Sumerian texts describing the conflicts between Aratta and Uruk.
- Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta tells how Enmerkar of Uruk fails to convince the Lord of Aratta to send him tribute to construct the ziggurat in Eridu, causing Inanna to abandon Aratta for Enmerkar.
- Enmerkar and Ensuh-keshdanna describes a similar contest between Enmerkar of Uruk and Ensuh-keshdanna, the Lord of Aratta.
- Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave and Lugalbanda and the Anzu Bird (also known as Lugalbanda I & II) describe when Lugalbanda, listed as Enmerkar's successor, was among the troops arrayed against Aratta.
In these epics, the heralds from Uruk are depicted as passing through Susin and "the seven mountains of Anshan" to deliver Enmerkar's proclamations to other inhabited lands while en route to Aratta. Anshan was the name of a particular Elamite city lying within the Zagros mountains, that was far to the east, which would seem to fit the theory identifying Aratta with the Jiroft civilization. The identification with the Urartu region is also feasible by such a route, if "the mountains of Anshan" are taken to mean the Zagros range in general.
Urartu hypothesis
According to one theory, Aratta included the Northwest of Iran and present-day Azerbaijan. Its borders were purportedly from the Caucasus mountains to the Zagros mountains, and from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea.
Aratta is thought to be related to the later kingdom of Urartu, because of its geographical location and name. The name also resembles Ararat, and the mountain is indeed located in the possible area of Aratta.
Aratta is often mentioned by modern historians in connection with the later regional powers of Mannai, Urartu and the Medes. Its legendary capital city may have been Phraaspa, site of a little Parthian era castle recently discovered (in April 2005) near the river Aras River (along the Armenia-Iran-Azerbaijan border). However, the castle is firmly dated to the Atropatene (c. 300 BC) and Parthian (c. 200 BC) eras, thousands of years after the mysterious references to Aratta in Sumerian inscriptions.
Some would more specifically locate Aratta on the eastern side of Lake Van near the Turkish-Iranian border. A significant population and a flourishing landscape is known to have existed there in the third millennium BC.
In certain theories for locating the Urheimat (homeland) of the Proto-Indo-European language, this culture is identified with the speakers of the Anatolian languages, and even as an earlier Urheimat. Scholars Tamaz Gamkrelidze and Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Ivanov place the homeland in Armenia.
- See also: Kura-Araxes culture
Jiroft hypothesis
Main article: Aratti theoryYousef Madjidzadeh speculated in 1976 that Aratta may be identical with the Southeast Iranian city of Jiroft. Excavations started in 2001, and unearthed a pyramid with edges 400m in length. Pottery with Sumerian-like design was found. The depictions seemed to resemble Sumerian legends. These findings have been dated to around 2500 BC.
The Jiroft hypothesis is linked to Dr. J. Derakhshani's theory that the kingdom of Aratta was located in the eastern parts of ancient Persia (modern eastern Iran and Afghanistan), pointing to the Lapis lazuli mentioned in ancient sources which is found in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan. In fact, Badakhshan is the oldest known source for Lapis lazuli.
- See also:Jiroft civilization
Notes and References
- Artak Movsisyan, Aratta: Land of the Sacred Law, Yerevan, 2001.
- Artak Movsisyan, Sacred Highland: Armenia in the spiritual conception of the Near East, Yerevan, 2000.
- Elst, Koenraad (1999). Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate. Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 81-86471-77-4.