Archaeologists have uncovered new evidence of elite burial customs in a monumental Late Bronze Age tomb in western Armenia, where bronze weapons, obsidian arrowheads and the remains of a sacrificed horse were found during the latest excavations at the ancient site of Shamiram.
The discoveries came from Tomb No. 3, one of the site’s largest burial monuments in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province. The burial was among the most significant findings of the 2026 excavation season, carried out by a joint Armenian-Italian archaeological mission between May 26 and June 25.
Researchers examined Shamiram’s fortified settlement, burial grounds and defensive structures, uncovering new details about the people who lived in the Armenian Highlands more than 3,000 years ago.
Bronze weapons point to power and status
Tomb No. 3 dates to the Late Bronze Age, roughly between 1600 and 1200 BCE. It consists of a central stone burial chamber enclosed by several concentric stone circles, a design that would have required careful planning and a large labor force to construct.
Inside the chamber, archaeologists recovered bronze weapons and arrowheads crafted from both bronze and obsidian, a volcanic glass valued for its sharp cutting edge. The rich collection of grave goods suggests the individual buried there belonged to the upper ranks of society and may have been associated with warfare, hunting, or political authority.
Horse sacrifice reveals costly funeral ritual
The burial also contained the remains of a horse that appears to have been sacrificed during the funeral. According to Armenia’s Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, the combination of monumental architecture, weapons and animal sacrifice provides important evidence for understanding the region’s ruling elites and the symbolic role of horses during the Late Bronze Age.
Across Bronze Age societies, horses were prized for transportation, warfare and social prestige. Sacrificing one during a burial would have been a costly ceremonial act, likely intended to emphasize the status of the deceased.
Researchers are continuing to study the human remains and artifacts to determine who was buried inside the tomb and better understand the significance of the burial ritual.
Older burial predates Urartian defenses
The 2026 field season also uncovered evidence from the centuries before Shamiram became part of the powerful Kingdom of Urartu.
Near one of the later fortress towers, archaeologists discovered a Middle Iron Age room marked by fire and destruction. They also identified an older burial that predates the construction of the Urartian defensive system.
The discoveries may help researchers reconstruct how the settlement changed before and during Urartu’s expansion between the ninth and sixth centuries BCE, when the kingdom established major fortresses, administrative centers, and extensive irrigation systems across much of the Armenian Highlands.
Hellenistic builders reshaped an older gateway
Elsewhere, excavations showed that the L-shaped entrance at Wall 2 was likely rebuilt during the Hellenistic period over an earlier Iron Age gateway. The finding demonstrates that the site’s defenses were repeatedly modified as the settlement evolved over the centuries.
Urartian tower confirms Shamiram’s importance
At Tower 3, archaeologists exposed a well-preserved Urartian megalithic structure measuring about 8.5 by 8.5 meters. Its size strengthens the interpretation of Shamiram as a major fortified center rather than a small rural settlement.
Researchers also uncovered stone column bases, buildings constructed beside older Urartian towers, and well-preserved medieval structures. The discoveries show that later communities continued to reuse the site’s ancient defenses long after they had lost their original military purpose.
Scientists will study human and animal remains
Shamiram occupies a large fortified rocky plateau that preserves defensive walls, residential areas and extensive burial grounds. Archaeological evidence shows the settlement remained occupied through the Late Bronze Age, Iron Age, Urartian, Hellenistic, Late Antique, medieval and post-medieval periods.
The excavation is directed by Varduhi Melikyan for Armenia and Roberto Dan for Italy through a collaboration between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences and ISMEO, the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies.
Researchers will now conduct detailed archaeological, anthropological and scientific analyses of the human remains, horse bones and artifacts recovered from Tomb No. 3. The results are expected to reveal more about the identity of the people buried there and the ceremonial traditions practiced in the Armenian Highlands more than three millennia ago.
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