Lchashen-Metsamor culture () is an archeological culture of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (1500-700 BCE) in the

South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

. It was mainly spread in areas of present-day

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. Lchashen-Metsamor pottery was also found in the

Ağrı Province Ağrı Province () is located in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east and the Provinces of Turkey, provinces of Kars Province, Kars to the north, Erzurum Province, Erzurum to the northwest, Muş Province, Muş and Bitlis Province, Bitlis to ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and in southern

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Description

A specific grooved pottery is associated with this culture. The construction of widespread cyclopean fortresses at the end of the Bronze Age and cities, indicate population growth and urbanization in the territory of Armenia. A number of bronze items, such as bronze belts, have been discovered at Lchashen–Metsamor sites. A fully preserved four-wheeled chariot was found at Lchashen.

Categorization

Archaeologists have divided the Lchashen–Metsamor culture into five main stages. Late Bronze Age - LM 1,2,3 Early Iron Age - LM 4.5 The sixth stage, which arises from the local synthesis of

Urartian Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushp ...

culture, has been left out.

Identity

Archaeologists connect the Lchashen–Metsamor culture with the

Etiuni Etiuni (other names Etiuḫi, Etiu, Etio) was the name of an early Iron Age tribal confederation in northern parts of Aras (river), Araxes River, roughly corresponding to the subsequent Ayrarat Province of the Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Kingd ...

tribal union attested in Urartian cuneiform.

Later history

The culture began declining in the 8th century BC when

Argishti I Argishti I, was the sixth known king of Urartu, reigning from 786 BC to 764 BC. He founded the citadel of Erebuni in 782 BC, which is the present capital of Armenia, Yerevan. Alternate transliterations of the name include ''Argishtis'', ''Argisti' ...

, the king of

Urartu Urartu was an Iron Age kingdom centered around the Armenian highlands between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. The territory of the ancient kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia.Kleiss, Wo ...

, crossed the

Araxes River The Aras is a transboundary river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan, between Iran and both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and, fin ...

with his army. Following the appearance of Urartian culture in the region, a syncretic Lchashen-Metsamor VI layer emerged.

Paleogenetics

An article by Damgaard (2018) dedicated to the genetic study of ancient inhabitants of the Eurasian steppes published the ancient DNA of two people from Lchashen burials. Samples included Y-DNA I2a2b-L596 and Mitochondrial DNA HV0a and J1b1a.

References