Argishti I in the Arax valley: consequences of the conquest

Abstract

The conquest of the fertile Arax valley by Argishti I in the mid 8th century BC was a major point in Urartian imperial policy, the valley having been a target of Urartian expansion from the start. The article outlines Argishti’s actions, including the evidence of violence discovered during recent excavation at Metsamor in Armenia, thus highlighting the dynamics and significance of Urartian expansionism. A contribution is also made to a study of the emergence and development of urban settlement in the Arax valley through an examination of surviving Urartian inscriptions.