The Urartian Legacy: Engineering and Empire in Ancient Armenia

Before the Bagratids, before the Seljuks, before even the Armenian alphabet, the Armenian highlands were home to the Kingdom of Urartu—a powerful Iron Age state that built fortified cities, intricate irrigation systems, and left behind cuneiform inscriptions that still puzzle scholars. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of Urartu around Lake Van, its rivalry with Assyria, and the lasting impact of its engineering feats. They discuss the fortress of Erebuni (founded in 782 BCE, now a suburb of modern Yerevan), the god Haldi, and the mysterious disappearance of Urartu from history. How much did Urartu influence later Armenian culture? Was the name 'Ararat' derived from Urartu? And what can the ruins of Tushpa and the rock-cut tombs tell us about a kingdom that once challenged the might of Assyria? This episode dives into the archaeology and legacy of a forgotten empire. #Urartu #ArmenianHighlands #Erebuni #Tushpa #Haldi #Assyria #IronAge #Cuneiform #LakeVan #Yerevan #Argishti #Sarduri #Archaeology #AncientEngineering #Caucasus #History #FexingoHistory #AncientEmpires Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo