, Brepols, 2024 Paperback, xxvi + 358 pages, Size:216 x 280 mm, Illustrations:333 b/w, 77 col., 3 tables b/w., 8 tables col., 6 maps color, Language: English. ISBN 9782503608037.
Summary The site of Lori Berd, located in northern Armenia, is home to an extraordinary necropolis that once housed the dead of the local elite during a period that spanned from 2200 to 400 BC. Influenced both by Urartian conquests from the south and by invasions from the Eurasian nomadic tribes from the north, the people of this region buried their dead with prestigious artefacts, complex customs, and a particular reverence shown during the later stages of the Early and Middle Iron Ages (1000-550 BC). This volume offers a detailed account of the archaeological significance of the site, providing detailed accounts of thirty-one tombs, the majority of which have never before been comprehensively published, and seeking to set Lori Berd in its broader historical and material context. Through this approach, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of the Iron Age in the South Caucasus, unravelling the interconnected themes of wealth, power, and cultural expressions. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Chapter 1. Introduction The Aims of this Work The Contemporary Research Framework The Actuality of the Question Methods Chapter 2. The Necropolis of Lori Berd Research History State of Research Description of Early and Middle Iron Age tombs Evaluation of the Tombs Chapter 3. Vessels Types of Pottery Metal Vessels Chapter 4. Weaponry and Tools Swords Daggers Scabbards Knives Spears Axes Maceheads Arrowheads Bidents Flesh Hook Arm Guards Ferrules Chisels Helmet Phaleras Quiver pin Reflections on Weapons Chapter 5. Jewellery and Art Objects Idols Bone Plaques Seals Beads Pendants Rings Clothing and its Fittings Silver Torc Temple Ornaments Band Diadems Assessment of Results of Geochemical Analysis of Gold and Silver Samples Chapter 6. Varia Tripod Fittings Sceptres Toiletry Items Chapter 7. Horse Sacrifices and Horse-Related Objects Historical Sources Zooarchaeological Investigations on Horses Horse Bits Belts Horse Torcs Horse Bridle Fasteners Horse Adornments Foot Bandages Visualization of Horse-Related Objects on Selected Horses Horse Warriors and the Notion of Gender Chapter 8. Assessment of Results of Wet Chemistry Analysis of Samples from Copper Objects Samples and Analysis Chemical Composition and Element Ratios Lead Isotope Analysis Chapter 9. Social Change and the Representation of Elites at Lori Berd Lori Berd Tombs Grouping Evidence of Social Inequality among the Tombs Chronology of Tombs Main Aspects of Representation in the Lori Berd Tombs Chapter 10. Lori Berd in its Regional Context The Nature of Foreign Influences in Lori Berd Lori Berd and Urartu South Caucasus as Imperial Periphery of the Urartian State Chapter 11. Main Results Appendix Works Cited Index