Saturday, January 15, 2022

Urartian hieroglyphs

 Urartian hieroglyphs. (first column)

Urartu used not only cuneiform writing system but also hieroglyphic. They were similar to Hittite-Luwian ( first picture second column) but not identic to them. 

The script is not deciphered. But some basic understanding what they represent is known.


Some of this (not all) symbols reached Medieval Armenian period. A set of symbols were used for short writing called Meaningful Symbols (Նշանագիրք Իմաստնոց). The last column of first image. Although Acharyan was critical about the idea that those symbols were directly from pagan times. 


The map represents sites were those hieroglyphs were found. Luwian hieroglyphs ( rectangle ) are mostly west of Euphrates. While most of Urartian hieroglyphs are found in modern Armenia ( Etiuni ).






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