The Metsamor Archaeological Site and Ancient Armenian Metallurgy

Metsamor: an ancient center of metallurgy

Metsamor is one of the oldest metallurgical centers of Armenia. The site is located in the Armavir Province, in the Ararat Plain, near the town of Metsamor. Materials discovered here by Armenian archaeologists show that metalworking on the Armenian Highland began very early: the first copper objects are known already from sites of the 6th–5th millennia BC, while the metallurgical materials of Metsamor belong mainly to periods beginning from the 4th–3rd millennia BC.

Location of the site and research

The territory of Metsamor has been at the center of attention of Armenian archaeologists since the 1960s. Excavations have shown the long life of the settlement, from the Early Metal Age to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The advantages of the location were the presence of water, the mineral resources of the neighboring mountains, and the connection with other settlements of the Ararat Plain. Since all this spans millennia, one should turn to separate publications for the dating of specific phases.

Archaeological finds

An important part of the material culture of Metsamor is the traces of metalworking. Archaeologists have discovered:

• remains of smelting furnaces and hearths,
• slag and traces of smelting products,
• molds for casting tools and weapons,
• copper and bronze objects: knives, daggers, axes, ornaments,
• clay vessels and stone tools, which complete the overall picture of the craft.

These finds testify that metal objects were not only used there but also produced.

The development of metallurgy

The development of metallurgy is usually divided into several stages. At first, people worked native copper by hammering and heating it. Then they learned to smelt copper from ore and cast it in molds. The next step was obtaining alloys, including arsenical and tin bronze, which yielded much stronger tools and weapons. The deposits of the Armenian Highland, of copper, iron, gold, silver, as well as obsidian, provided a rich raw material base.

The role of the Armenian Highland in the ancient world

According to the studies of Armenian archaeologists, the Armenian Highland was one of the important centers of metallurgy of the ancient world. Craftsmen of the region exchanged metal and metal objects with neighboring cultures, and the Armenian casting tradition left a mark on the material culture of Western Asia and the Caucasus. Later, in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages, this tradition continued among the craftsmen of Lchashen, Lori Berd, Shirak and other sites. It should be noted that researchers give differing assessments of the volumes and routes of exchange, and the question continues to be studied.

Significance

Metsamor is a reminder that the Armenian Highland was not a periphery of cultures but a center of technological innovation. The study of the site helps to understand how the early Armenian craft culture was formed, which later became one of the important foundations of Armenian material culture.

Sources

• History of the Armenian People, vol. 1 (Institute of History, Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR)
• Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia