A team of Armenian-Polish archaeologists has made significant discoveries at the Davti Blur archaeological site. They found Urartian house remains from the 6th century BC, a cremation cemetery, and evidence of a powerful earthquake.
Dr. Mateusz Iskra, a team member, explains that Davti Blur translates to “David Hill” in Armenian. This name likely refers to a medieval church that once stood there, but no traces remain today. The site includes a portion of Argishtihinili, an ancient fortress city established in 774 BC. This city served as one of the main administrative and economic centers of the Urartian Kingdom. The well-preserved western section is known for the remains of large houses belonging to local elites, discovered in earlier research.
Dr. Iskra emphasizes the importance of this archaeological site for all of Armenia. The first excavations occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. After a period of intensive digging, the site was somewhat forgotten. Research continued sporadically, primarily conducted by Armenians, and Polish archaeologists had not previously investigated the area.
Currently, the site faces risks due to modern human activities. A landfill has been constructed nearby, and a modern cemetery has recently been built in part of the area. Illegal metal detectors are also widely active. Dr. Iskra warns, “This is the last moment we can conduct research on a larger scale.”
During surface surveys, researchers captured outlines of massive walls, one nearly 1.5 meters thick. An archaeologist from CAŚ UW noted, “These are not defensive walls; they were the walls of two residential buildings. They turned out to be very well preserved.”
The team conducted two small excavations that uncovered floor fragments belonging to two rooms. Dr. Iskra stated, “We do not yet know the exact purpose of these rooms. However, we can confirm that these houses date back at least to the 6th century BC.”
Unexpectedly, the archaeologists discovered traces of a cremation cemetery. Dr. Iskra explained, “The bodies of the deceased were cremated. Crushed human bones, remnants of the funeral pyre, and ornaments were buried in pots. These pots were typically covered with a shallow dish and placed in a rock niche.”
The discovery of such monuments has become relatively easy, even for amateur researchers. Archaeologists found evidence of illegal activities, including scattered and broken vessels and smaller remains in the ancient cemetery.
The team also found a solid vase covered with a stamped bowl. Dr. Iskra noted, “Thanks to this stamping, which bears a characteristic pottery imprint, we can already date the grave to the first half of the 7th century BC.”
The contents of the bowl have yet to be analyzed, and special bioarchaeological studies are expected to take place in a laboratory in Yerevan. So far, the location of the funeral pyres has not been discovered.
A team led by Professor Barbara Woronko from the Faculty of Geology at the University of Warsaw uncovered earthquake-related faults during preliminary surveys. Initial data suggests that this was a highly destructive and powerful event, but it is still too early to determine exactly when it occurred.
Archaeological work at the Davti Blur (Nor Armavir) site has resumed after a long hiatus as part of a new Armenian-Polish research project, starting in October 2024. The research is being conducted by Dr. Mateusz Iskra from the Center for Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw (CAŚ UW) and Hasmik Simonyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.
