The Ancient Roots of the Armenian Highlands: Aratta and Beyond

The first historical information about the Armenian Highlands known to date is preserved in Sumerian cuneiform records, dating back to the 28th-27th centuries BC. These records mention the early state formation of Aratta.

The name Aratta is rightly compared with Ararat and is considered its proto-form. This is evident from comparisons of the Sumerian and biblical stories about the Great Flood. In both narratives, Aratta and Ararat are presented as places of salvation.

In the most ancient cuneiform records of Mesopotamia, proper names were written in two ways: by sound (syllabic) and by whole ideographic signs. In the case of sound writing, the toponym Aratta is written in three syllables (A-rat-ta), and in the ideographic version, the name Subur is written as Subari or Subartu.

This means that these two names were given to one country. Analysis of references to Subur-Subari-Subartu, the oldest of which were found in sources from the 26th century BC, shows that it was located on the territory of the Armenian Highlands, more specifically in the Lake Van basin and in the southwestern regions.

Starting from the 26th century BC, Mesopotamian sources mention the god Ay(ya), as well as the people and country of the same name. It is noteworthy that in the Sumerian record, the name Suburi corresponds to the name Ay(ya) recorded in the Akkadian part, indicating that these two records refer to one country.

In fact, we have on the one hand the correspondence Aratta – Subur, and on the other Subur-Ay(ya). This means that already in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC, Armenia was known under three equivalent names (Aratta-Ay(ya)-Subur).

Starting from the 24th-23rd centuries BC, the names “Arman(i)”, “Armi”, and “Aram” are mentioned in the Armenian Highlands, which are proto-forms of the word “Armenia”. The records of Ebla (Northern Asorik) from the 24th-23rd centuries BC mention the “Sons of Ay”, living in the country of Armi, who had active relations with neighboring countries.

The “Sons of Ay” of Ebla, the god Ay(ya), and the country of the same name in Sumerian sources are etymologically connected with one center – the Armenian Highlands. Thus, as early as the 24th-23rd centuries BC, in connection with the Armenian Highlands, the main names given to the Armenians and Armenia are mentioned: Aratta, Ay(ya), Subur, and Arman(i). “Subur” fell out of use in the first half of the 1st millennium, while the others continued to exist as Ararat, Hayk-Hayastan, and Armenia.

These ancient records provide a fascinating glimpse into the early history and cultural heritage of the Armenian Highlands, highlighting the region’s significance in the ancient world. The continuity of names and the rich historical context underscore the deep roots of Armenian civilization and its enduring legacy.

Artatsolum

Based on an article by Artak Movsisyan