The Craftsmen and Manufacturers in the Urartian Civilization

Abstract

Urartu became a powerful state in the Near East during the first millennium BC. In spite of geographic impediments such as high mountains and strong streams, and a severe climate, the Urartians developed a high level of production in every area of craftsmanship. We encounter in Urartian written sources professions indicating craftsmen and manufacturers who constituted the base of this production. Iconographical and archaeological findings prove the existence of further types of handicrafts not mentioned in written sources. In our study, some questions regarding gender and social status related to Urartian craftsmen and manufacturers are clarified. Additionally, places where production took place are identified. The study gives an overview of the world of arts and crafts in Urartu, and the people behind it.