Joushinqaleh (A 11A-1)
The inscription in the possession of an antiquities dealer was reportedly found at Joushinqaleh, a fortress on a steep and massive rock, located 3 km southeast of the village of Joushin, in the Varzaqan district of northwestern Iran, and positioned strategically on a pass between the Ahar Valley and the basin of Araxes. The basalt slab survives in two large and one small fragment seemingly preserving almost the entire inscription. It measures approximately 45 cm high, 90 cm wide and 20 cm deep. The author of the inscription, Ala son of Argišti, is not known from any other inscription. Orthography and syntax of the inscription as well as the find location suggest identifying him as a son of Argišti II.
Transliteration (Salvini, 2025):
1 dhal-di-ni-ni uš-ma-ši-ni EN-ŠÚ-ni-ni
2 ma-la-še mar-giš-te-x?-hi-ni-še a-li
3 i-ni É.GAL ba-du-si-e ši-di-iš-tú-bi
4 KURbi-a-i-na-u-e uš-ma-še KURKÚRMEŠ-u-i na-
5 -pa-hi-a-i-di te-ru-bi ti-⸢ni⸣ dhal-di-i URU
6 ma-la-še a-[li] a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te
7 pi-⸢tú-li⸣-e [a]-lu-še ti-⸢ni⸣-ni tú-li-e
8 ma-a-si ti-⸢ni te⸣-li-e tú-ri-ni-ni
9 dhal-di-i-⸢še⸣ d⸢IM-še⸣ d⸢UTU⸣-ni-še ⸢DINGIR⸣MEŠ-še
10 ma-a-ni ti-[i-ni ar]-⸢mu⸣-[zi dUTU-ni pi-i-ni]
Translation (Işık, 2022):
Thanks to the protection of his lord Ḫaldi, Ala son of Argišti says: I built this fortress in perfection; to protect Biainili (and) to humiliate enemy countries. I gave it the name ‘City of Ḫaldi.’ Ala says: whoever damages this inscription, who destroys/eradicates (my) name (and) sets his name, may him God Ḫaldi, the weather god, the sun god, (all) the Gods destroy: him (his) name (and) offspring under the sun(light).
References:
Işık, K. 2022. “An Urartian Inscription by an Unknown Author of the 7th century BCE,” Studia Hethitica, Hurritica et Urartaica 1: 213–219.
Salvini, M. 2025. “Un nouveau texte de Rusa (I) Sardurihi suggère peut être une solution pour la vexata quaestio de la chronologie des rois urartéens entre VIIIe et VIIe siècle,” NABU 2025-3: 130–135.
Image Sources:
K. Işık, 2022