Some Suggestions on Urartian Inscription of Tul-e Talesh Bracelet
Subject Areas : Prehistoric Archaeology
1 - Linguistics, Texts and Inscriptions Research Center of RICHT, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Urartian, Bronze Bracelet, Tul-e Talesh, Argišti, Renaissance and New Epigraphy,
Abstract :
Urartians expanded their kingdom in the area between Lakes Sevan, Van and Urmia for about three centuries from 9th century B.C. The bronze bracelet with Urartian inscription from Tul-e Talesh has been studied by the scholars as a proof of Urartian border expansion and their effects on the region or even as a looted object. This inscription is known to belong to Argišti I or Sarduri II. But the solder in the bracelet has been the cause of arguments and also distractions from other details. The inscription was written with two sorts of epigraphy and with no sufficient attention. Therefore the era when this inscription was written is hard to be determined. The inscription contains only two words as mar-giš-ti and uš-tú-ú. The second part is incomplete and could be uš-tú-ú-ni or uš-tú-ú-ri or uš-tú-ú-li. The author of this paper suggests that it was possible for this object to be moved from one site to another as an ancient tradition. It is also possible that the inscription was cut from another longer inscription and was made into a bracelet with adornments. The words in the beginning and the end of the inscription are incomplete and it is also possible that the metalworker cut the word Argišti for any reason and used another part (ni-še uš-tú-ú) with no attention or knowledge of Urartian grammar. Therefore, the translation is useless as there are two words of “Argišti” and “dedicate”. “ḫi” as a paternal sign could have possibly been hidden under the solder as well. The poor epigraphy of the inscription is the reason for the author not to accept the idea of the bracelet as a temple dedication.
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