An Aramaic inscription discovered in a rural village in Ardahan, in modern-day northeastern Turkey and historically part of Gugark, the thirteenth province of Greater Armenia, has been identified as an Armenian artifact and transferred to the Kars Archaeology and Ethnography Museum for detailed study. This is the first documented inscription of its kind linked to Armenian history in the Kars and Ardahan region.
Preliminary examinations confirm that the text is written in Aramaic, a language commonly used across the ancient Near East, including in Armenian royal and administrative contexts.
Early findings suggest an Artashesian link
Specialists have begun preparing a transcription to make the weathered text readable. Initial interpretations indicate a reference to King Artashes, also known as Artaxiad, connecting the inscription to the early Artashesian period. Although several rulers bore this name, the mention likely corresponds to one of the earliest known Armenian kings of the dynasty.
Researchers believe the inscription may reflect political and territorial developments in the region during the era following the weakening of Seleucid influence and the rise of Armenian authority.
