Metsamor – The Sardonyx Seal of Babylonian King Kurigalzu I

The photo below pictures a sardonyx seal with an Egyptian hieroglyphic text. This seal has belonged to Babylonian King Kurigalzu I (15th century BC).

This discovery together with other finds of this type indicates that since ancient times, Metsamor has been located at the crossroad of trade routes passing through the Ararat valley which connected Mesopotamia, Western Asia, and the North Caucasus.

During the early Iron Age, Metsamor was one of the most important administrative and cultural centers in the Ararat Valley. In the 8th century BC, Metsamor was part of the Kingdom of Van (Urartu).

Activity here also continued in the Middle Ages – until the 17th century, to be precise. The best evidence of this is found buildings, simple and glazed earthenware, and luxury items. More than 27,000 items testifying to the significance of the settlement have been unearthed here.

Gevork Nazaryan