Panel 2.6 – The Economic Structure of Eastern Anatolian Highland from Urartian Period to the End of Late Antiquity

Organisation/Vorsitz:

• Mehmet Isikli (Atatürk University)

Vortragende:

• Ayşegül Akin Aras (Ankara University)
  Socio-economic Structure of the Eastern Anatolia Region before Urartian Kingdom
• Mehmet Isikli und Oğuz Aras (Atatürk University)
  Observations on the Urartian Economy in Light of the Excavations at Ayanis Castle
• Leila Afshari (Atatürk University)
  The Economic Conditions of the Eastern Anatolian Highland (Armenia Satraphy) during the Achaemenid Period
• Nusret Burak Özsoy (Erzurum Technical University) / Elif Yavuz (Atatürk University)
  The Economic and Political State of Eastern Anatolian during the Classical Period
• Ahmet Cuneydi Has und Ayşegül Akin Aras (Atatürk University)
  Economic Mobility in Eastern Anatolia during the Byzantine Period

The Eastern Anatolian Highlands was one of the prominent sub-regions of the ancient Near East due to its very specific location. This region, which has rugged geographical features and harsh climatical conditions, is situated between Northern Mesopotamia, the Southern Caucasus, Northwestern Iran and Central Anatolia, each of which were important cultural regions of the Near East. The Eastern Anatolian Highlands has played an important role in the economic networks and cultural relationships developed between the southern and northern regions through the ages. Despite its negative geographical and climatical conditions, the region hosted many cultures and societies through time on account of its location and richness in natural resources and raw materials. The archaeological evidence shows that the initial periods of centralization and state formation in the region began with Urartu and continued through time. The Urartian State is the first known central political organisation in Eastern Anatolia, and during this period, the societies living in the highlands first became acquainted with literacy. Thereafter, the economic and political structures in this mountainous zone of the Near East are more easily observed. From this point of view, the economic structures of this marginal zone of the ancient Near East will be analysed in this session from the Urartian period to the end of Late Antiquity.

1. Ayşegül Akin Aras (Ankara University)

Socio-economic Structure of the Eastern Anatolia Region before Urartian Kingdom
Eastern Anatolia Region, which is one of the harshest regions of Anatolia in terms of its ecological and geographical characteristics, has hosted many different cultures and communities that have adapted to this harsh geography and varied in socio-cultural, ethnographic and even demographical aspects. The cultures that have been existed in this geopraphy have developed within the possibilities nature has offered them, and the economical structure has been shaped by man’s effort. In this regard the first commercial and cultural relations that emerged from the mountainous regions of Eastern Anatolia and based on the obsidian points out the economic structure began with the Neolitihic Period between the cultural regions along Euphrates ve Tigris Rivers. Close relations with Mesopotamian origined cultures strengthened trade with the arrival of Chalcolithic Era. For Karaz Culture, which was the most important culture of the region in the Bronze Age, the socio-economic structure of the region became agriculture and raising livestock. The change started with Kura-Aras Culture was strengthened by the “Highlands Culture” which had impact on the region and this economic structure based on livestock continued until the Iron Age. Eastern Anatolia played an important role in the formation of Urartian Economy during the period of Beyliks, which dominates the region with the beginning of Early Iron Age (the first central authority of Eastern Anatolia, which established the foundations of the Urartian State). In this study the socio-economic structure of the Eastern Anatolia Region before Urartian Kingdom will be evaluated.

2. Mehmet Işıklı und Oğuz Aras (Atatürk University) 

Observations on the Urartian Economy in Light of the Excavations at Ayanis Castle
The Urartian State is the earliest known central political organisation in the highlands of Eastern Anatolia and the Trans-Caucasus region. Sitauted around the Lake Van basin, the Urartian Kingdom attempted to control the territory between the Van, Sevan and Urmia lakes – an area that included fertile plains hidden in mountain zones and large, lush pastures. For approximately three hundred years, the Urartian Kingdom struggled against harsh geographical conditions and against several political rivals. While creating a new political system under these circumstances, a novel economic system was also being forged. Construction activities by the Urartians included not only the notable fortresses, but also dams and canals. These construction projects reflect the economy of the period, which was based on agriculture, stock breeding and booty (the latter of which might include captives, sheep and other commodities). Fortresses were important components in this economic system, as they hosted public buildings such as temples, palaces and storage facilities. They also acted as political and economic centres for the inspection, storage and distribution of surplus production. Ayanis Fortress, having been excavated since 1989, is one of best-known and striking examples of these fortified centres, presenting a paramount picture of the 7th century BC Urartian highlands. This paper focuses on the new evidence from Ayanis and tries to analyse the Urartian economical system through its architecture, archaeological findings and written evidence.

3. Leila Afshari (Atatürk University)

The Economic Conditions of the Eastern Anatolian Highland (Armenia Satraphy) during the Achaemenid Period
The Achaemenid (Persian) Empire was the largest of all ancient Near Eastern "world empires", spanning from Egypt to central Asia and the Indus region. Its formation began after 550 B.C.E., when the petty king Cyrus of Anshan/Fars (in southwestern Iran) and his son Cambyses conquered the mighty Medes and the empires of Lydia, Babylonia and Egypt. For 200 years, from the second-half of the sixth century to the decades before 330 BC, the Persian dynasty of the Achaemenids ruled Anatolia and Armenia as part of an enormous empire stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to Afghanistan and India. The satrapy of Armenia was one of the more remote satrapies of the empire, stretching west from eastern Anatolia to the southern Caucasus Mountains and south to Lake Urmia. It is located quite some distance from the center of the empire and creates the northernmost border of the empire in the southern Caucasus Mountains. Armenia has several natural borders, such as the Black Sea to its northwest and the great Caucasus Moutain range to the north, and the satrapy had a varied geography containing mountains, plains, grasslands, semi-deserts, large lakes and several rivers and streams. The landscape was harsh, and as a result, the population was resilient. While the landscape was severe, it could also be plentiful: the numerous rivers and streams in the region left the landscape fertile, large lakes such as Lake Van provided fish, and the landscape was rich with raw materials, especially metals such as copper, silver and iron.

4. Nusret Burak Özsoy (Erzurum Technical University) / Elif Yavuz (Atatürk University)

The Economic and Political State of Eastern Anatolian during the Classical Period
Eastern Anatolia, with its challenging climatic conditions and ruggedly mountainous terrain, was a territory that proved difficult to control for many civilizations throughout history. Due to the nature of its terrain, which exhibits a natural defense system, it offered advantages and disadvantages to civilizations that wanted to dominate it. During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the territory acquired a particularly strategic significance. This was especially the case, when Rome began to engage with the Caucasus region, at which time Eastern Anatolia thereby began to find itself in an important military and economic position. In this study, the developments experienced in these periods will be evaluated in terms of regional geography and economic conditions.

5. Ahmet Cüneydi Has und Aşegül Akın Aras (Atatürk University)

Economic Mobility in Eastern Anatolia during the Byzantine Period
The region of Eastern Anatolia, where terrestrial climate conditions prevail, was a frequent conduit guiding east-west trade. While regional climate and vegetation cover present challenges, it has been able to survive economically through many periods by keeping production at a constant level. The most important factor in this regard is the fact that the region effectively functioned as a transit point on account of its strategic geographic position. This economic dynamism in the Byzantine period brought the region forward not only economically but also in many other respects. From this perspective, the trade of Eastern Anatolia will be analyzed from archaeological and geographical data. We will also try to provide detailed information about how effectively the region succeeded in using Roman trade routes in the Byzantine period.