Bahçecik (A 9-18)
The incomplete slab was found in the early 1990s built into the wall of a private house in the village of Bahçecik in the Karakoçan district of Elazığ. The slab measures 59 cm in height, 90 cm in width, and 30 cm in thickness and is currently in the Elazığ Museum. It is believed to have originated from the nearby Urartian settlement located on a mound north of the village. If so, the inscription names it Sardurihinili and announces a governor of the region that borders Malatya, Kummuh(?), and Nihriya.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-e e-ú-ri-i-e
2 i-ni Ésu-si-e mdsar5-du-ri-še
3 mar-giš-ti-hi-ni-še ši-di-iš-tú-u-ni
4 e-ʾa É.GAL ba-du-si ši-di-iš-tú-u-ni
5 te-ru-ni mdsar5-du-ri-hi-ni-li ti-i-ni
6 mdsar5-du-ri-še a-li-e te-ru-bi
7 mza-ia-ni LÚEN.NAM iš-ti-i-⸢ni⸣
8 mì-ir-tar-šú-ú-e KURe-ba-a-ni ⸢pa⸣-[ri]
9 URUmì-li-ṭi5-a pa-ri URUqu-[ma-ha]
10 pa-ri URUni-hi-ri-a KURar-[me-e]
11 pa-ri KURha-ši-me-e [x x]
12 [d]hal-di-⸢ni-ni⸣ [x x x x]
Translation:
“(1) For the god Haldi, his (or: the) Lord, Sarduri, son of Argišti, built this tower temple, and he built a fortress to perfection. He gave it the name “Sardurihinili” (or: the Sardurian). (6) Sarduri says: I installed here Zaiani as governor. He shall administrate(?) the region up to the city Miliṭia, up to the city Qu[maha], up to the city Nihiria, up to the land Ar[me?], up to the land Hašime [. . .]. (12) Through the [greatness/protection] of the god Haldi [. . .].
References:
Payne, M. & V. Sevin. 2001. “A New Urartian Inscription from Elazığ/Bahçecik, Eastern Turkey,” SMEA 43, 111–119.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 442–443, v. 3 p. 279, v. 5 pp. 271–272.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007063).
Image Sources:
M. Payne & V. Sevin, 2001
M. Salvini, 2008