The composition of the city administration of the city of Metsamor. City of Metsamor: Fortress and Phallic Symbols

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The Metsamor Museum-Reserve, opened on the site of an ancient settlement, is located 35 kilometers southwest of Yerevan on the banks of the Taronik River. People settled in this place at least seven thousand years ago.

Excavations in Metsamor have been going on since the middle of the last century. Archaeologists have come to the conclusion that already in the 5th millennium BC, there was a settlement in Metsamor with flourishing crafts. In particular, well-preserved smelters and furnaces built in rocky ground were found here. The area of the settlement reached 10.5 hectares, there was a fortress surrounded by a wall and a ziggurat - a cult multi-stage pyramidal structure.

Inside the citadel were temple complex with seven sanctuaries, residential buildings, production. Not far from the fortress there is a cemetery with cromlechs (figures made of stones dug vertically into the ground) made of red tufa. Tribal leaders were buried here and animals were sacrificed, and according to some sources, even people. In the graves, archaeologists found a mass of clay bowls covered with glaze, carved wooden boxes, jewelry made of gold, silver and semi-precious stones.

Items made in other countries were also found here, which indicates active trade. The most valuable finds are an agate weight frog from Babylon and an Egyptian carnelian seal.

The Metsamor Museum-Reserve was opened in 1968. Its exposition includes more than 27 thousand items. Here are items made in the period from the early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.

Metsamor

Metsamor is a settlement located near the capital of Armenia.

Since 1965, excavations have been carried out here, which reveal more and more new cultural layers. The Eneolithic, the periods of the early, middle and late Bronze Age, the early and advanced periods of the Iron Age, the Middle Ages - all these are the life stages of the development of the settlement, revealed during excavations.

Since ancient times, Metsamor has been the cultural and historical center of the life of its time and occupied a leading position in the development of society. Occupying an area of 10.5 hectares, Metsamor had a citadel with a rather impressive wall and was a large city-settlement. It also had its own observatory. All houses were round in shape, to which various utility rooms were attached.

At burial, the nobility of Metsamor often took with them to the grave a large number of valuable items, from which we can conclude that society was highly stratified during the Bronze Age.

The city that existed here in the XI-IX centuries. BC. had its own citadel, its own observatory and its residential quarters with total area up to 100 ha were located on the plain, near Lake Akn. All palace and outbuildings were protected by a thick wall encircling this complex.

Not far from the citadel, a huge burial was discovered, according to some sources, it occupies up to 100 hectares. During excavations, both very small burials and huge burials with stone mounds and huge tombs made of red slabs were discovered here.

The remnants of material values that have survived to this day tell about their owners themselves. The remains and the number of sacrificed animals and people speak of the difficult origin of those buried here. also in funeral rites the fruits of various fruits were widely used, as evidenced by the bones of grapes and pears found here. In the tombs, next to the deceased, there were also various gold, silver and semi-precious jewelry, bowls and caskets, decorated with ornaments and mythological scenes according to local traditions.

The frog-weight and the carnelian seal of the Babylonian kings Ulam Vurarish and Kurigalzu fully confirm that Metsamor was a crossroads of many roads and connected the peoples of the North Caucasus with the peoples of Western Asia, and at the same time in the XI-IX centuries. BC. was political and cultural center countries.

During the excavations, traces of the capture by the Kingdom of Van in the 8th century BC were discovered. plains, after which life in Metsamor calmed down. After a short lull, life resumed again in these places, a new, powerful wall was built and Metsamor became one of the vassals of the Kingdom of Van.

The significance of Metsamor in revealing the secrets of the past of the Ararat plain is simply invaluable and the excavations do not stop.

In the Ararat valley, at a distance of 35 km from Yerevan, there is the oldest settlement of Armenia - the city of Metsamor. As a result of the excavations, four cultural layers were found, belonging to the Stone, Bronze, Iron Ages and the Middle Ages, respectively. Archaeological excavations have been carried out here since 1965, thanks to which more and more unique finds are being discovered.

Fortress-fortress Metsamor

Metsamor received the status of a fortress-fortress in Armenia due to the thick walls that protected the buildings of this ancient city. All buildings included in the complex were surrounded by masonry. During the excavations, archaeologists discovered the remains of the walls of urban buildings, fortresses and burials. different eras, and also established that the city had residential areas and an observatory. Moreover, all the buildings were round in shape.

A thorough study of ancient burials has yielded impressive results. Many valuable items were found in them: gold and silver jewelry, coins, items made of precious and semi-precious stones, jewelry boxes and dishes with ornaments, and other luxury items. This indicates that life in the ancient fortress-fortress did not stop for many centuries, and excavations confirm this fact.

In 1969, a historical and archaeological museum was opened on the territory of the fortress with 22,000 exhibits found during excavations. On the ground floor there are collected items related to jewelry. The second floor consists of two sections: in the first - tools and textile crafts, the second - cult objects (amulets, idols and statues). There is also a basement floor where valuable items found in the tombs of the nobility are stored.

How to get to the fortress city of Metsamor

This is ancient settlement is located in the center of the Ararat plain, on the banks of the river of the same name and not far from the village of Taronik. If you go by bus or minibus from the Yerevan station, then the travel time will take 40 minutes (35 km), but if you go from Armavir, then the journey will take no more than 10 minutes (6 km). You can also take a taxi that travels from many cities (Yerevan, Armavir, Araks, and others), they will take you directly to the ancient city. Or you can just hitchhike or go on a guided tour.

One of the decorations of the Ararat plain is Metsamor, a fortress-fortress located near the capital of Armenia. The volcanic hill, with huge water reserves and excellent conditions for hunting and agriculture, became the fundamental factors for the creation and further development of the settlement. Springs that have always nourished the surroundings of the settlement still gush out of the ground, giving life to animals and plants.

During burial, the nobility of Metsamor often took a large number of valuable items with them to the grave, from which we can conclude that society was highly stratified during the Bronze Age.

The city that existed here in the XI-IX centuries. BC. had its own citadel, its own observatory and its residential quarters with a total area of up to 100 hectares were located on the plain, near Lake Akn. All palace and outbuildings were protected by a thick wall encircling this complex.

The remnants of material values that have survived to this day tell about their owners themselves. The remains and the number of sacrificed animals and people speak of the difficult origin of those buried here. Also, fruits of various fruits were widely used in funeral rites, as evidenced by the bones of grapes and pears found here. In the tombs, next to the deceased, there were also various gold, silver and semi-precious jewelry, bowls and caskets, decorated with ornaments and mythological scenes according to local traditions.

Also, objects of the ancient and Hellenistic period were found here.

In the Middle Ages, life in Metsamor did not stop, the coins and attributes of luxury found in medieval layers fully prove this.

The abundance of trade routes passing through Metsamor is evidenced by the coins found here (Levon II - 1270-1289, coins of the Khulavits, coins from Western Europe XIII-XIV centuries).

Opened in 1968, the museum, containing 22,000 items, was the predictable outcome of the excavations. The first floor of the museum has collected various materials found in the fortress itself and in the necropolis dating back to the periods from the early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, as well as a diagram of the excavation layers in the section. The second floor has two sections, the first one presents tools and other materials related to various crafts, such as jewelry or textile crafts, wall decorations and tiles, a lot of materials related to metal processing. The second section is completely reserved for the temple complex. A large number of cult objects are exhibited here - amulets and talismans, idols and portable hearths, statues and seal pintaders. All burial materials from the period of the Kingdom of Van, the gold fund, consisting of gold and silver necklaces and many other things found in the tombs of the nobility, are located in the basement of the museum. Due to constant excavations, the expositions are frequently updated.

The attendance of the museum is quite high, and the creation of the Metsamor Monument was highly appreciated by many famous scientists and archaeologists.

The significance of Metsamor in revealing the secrets of the past of the Ararat plain is simply invaluable and the excavations do not stop.