Colloquium Anatolicum 1303-8486 3062-133X Türk Eskiçağ Bilimleri Enstitüsü Old Anatolian History Eski Anadolu Tarihi Bronze Votive Rings with Assyrian Inscriptions found in the Upper Anzaf Fortress in Van Van-Yukarı Anzaf Kalesi Sarayında Bulunan Assurca Yazıtlı Bronz Adak Halkaları Belli Oktay İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ Dinçol Ali M. İstanbul Universitesi Dinçol Belkıs İstanbul Üniversitesi 06 01 2009 8 91 124 04 02 2009 04 12 2009 Copyright © 2002, Colloquium Anatolicum 2002 Colloquium Anatolicum

The Lower and Upper Anzaf Urartian fortresses are located 11 km northwest of the modern city of Van (Map 1). The former was built by the Urartian king Išpuini (830-810 BC) while the latter by his son Menua (810- 786 BC) (Belli 1999: 5; 2001a: 39; 2001b: 165; 2003b: 61). The Lower Fortress has a 62 x 98 m rectangular plan and was constructed on an area covering 6,000 m2. 1900 m above the sea level, the fortress is situated on a rocky cliff that is neither very steep nor rough. It was founded completely for military purposes at the intersection of important military and trade routes coming from Transcaucasia in the North and Northwest Iran in the east, prior to reaching the Urartian capital of Tušpa (Van Fortress). For example, the six edifice inscriptions found there mention that King Išpuini built a strong fortress. The likes of the monumental ramparts of the fortress, of cyclopic construction using huge boulders without mortar or bastions, have yet to be found in other parts of the Urartian Kingdom.

 Urartian Assyrian Inscription Anzaf Fortress Ishpuini I Urartuca Assurca Yazıt I. İšpuini Anzaf Kalesi Belli, O. 1999 The Anzaf Fortresses and the Gods of Urartu, İstanbul. 2001a “Bronze Votive Rings with Cuneiform Inscriptions from Van-Upper Anzaf Fortress”, R. M. Boehmer – J. Maran (eds.), Lux Orientis, Archäologie zwischen Asien und Europa, Festschrift für Harald Hauptmann, Rahden: 39-43. 2001b “Excavations on the Upper and Lower Anzaf Urartian Fortresses”, O. Belli (ed.), Istanbul University’s Contributions to Archaeology in Turkey (1932- 2000), İstanbul: 165-172. 2003a “Van-Aşağı ve Yukarı Anzaf Urartu Kaleleri Kazısı: Bir Ara Değerlendirme (1991-2002) / Excavations at Van- Lower and Upper Anzaf Urartian Fortresses: An Intermediary Evaluation (1991- 2002)”, CollAn II: 1-49. 2003b “Historical Development of the Kingdom of Urartu”, F. Özden (ed.), Urartu: Savaş ve Estetik-Urartu: War and Aesthetics, İstanbul: 45-73. 2003c “Metal Artefacts and Weapons with Cuneiform Inscriptions”, F. Özden (ed.), Urartu: Savaş ve Estetik-Urartu: War and Aesthetics, İstanbul: 129-131. 2004 “Bronze Quivers with Cuneiform Inscriptions from Van- Upper Anzaf Fortress”, A. Sagona (ed.), A View from the Highlands, Archaeological Studies in Honour of Charles Burney, Ancient Near Eastern Studies 12, Melbourne: 277-298. 2005a “Aşağı ve Yukarı Anzaf Urartu Kaleleri, 2003 Yılı Çalışmaları- Upper and Lower Anzaf Urartian Fortresses, 2003 Campaign”, TÜBA-AR VIII: 181- 184. 2005b “Aşağı ve Yukarı Anzaf Urartu Kaleleri / 2004 Yılı Çalışmaları- Upper and Lower Anzaf Urartian Fortresses”, 2004 Campaign”, TÜBA-AR VIII: 184- 186. 2006 “Yukarı Anzaf Kalesi’nde Bulunan Urartu Kralı II. Argişti’ye Ait Çiviyazılı Bronz Adak Kalkanı / Urartian King Argisti’s (II) Bronze Votive Shield with Cuneiform Inscription from Upper Anzaf Fortress”, B. Avunç (ed.), Hayat Erkanal’a Armağan, Kültürlerin Yansıması-Studies in Honor of Hayat Erkanal, Cultural Reflections, İstanbul: 145-154. 2007 Tarih Boyunca Van, İstanbul. Belli, O. – A. Dinçol – B. Dinçol 2004 “Royal Inscriptions on Bronze Artifacts from the Upper Anzaf Fortress at Van”, Anatolica XXX: 1-14. 2005 “Bronze Door Rings with Cuneiform Inscriptions of Sarduri II from the Upper Anzaf Fortress”, Anatolica XXXI: 217-226. CAD The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Diakonoff, I. M. – S. M. Kashkai 1981 Geographical Names according to Urartian Texts, (RGTC IX), Wiesbaden. Dinçol, A. – B. Dinçol 1995 “Die neuen Inschriften und beschriftete Bronzefunde aus den Ausgrabungen von den urartaeischen Burgen von Anzaf”, T. van den Hout – J. de Roos (eds.), Studio Historiae Ardens: Ancient Near Eastern Studies presented to Phili H. J. Houwink ten Cate on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday , Istanbul: 23-55. HChI F. W. König, Handbuch der chaldischen Inschriften I-II (AfO Beiheft 8), Graz. Salvini, M. 1978 “A dedicatory Inscription of the Urartian King Išpuini”, Assur I/8: 171-177. 2008 Corpus dei testi Urartei, (Vol I-II-III), Istituto di Studi sulle Civiltà dell’Egeo e dell Vicino Oriente, Dokumenta Asiana, Roma.