Qalatgah (A 3-10)
The stone with a five-line inscription was found in 1968 during a survey by Christopher Hamlin of the University of Pennsylvania, where it had been reused in a dam at a site called Qalatgah in the Ushnu valley of Iran. The monument is associated with the Urartian stronghold built on a mountaintop at Qalatgah. The stone has dimensions of 88 cm in width, 44 cm in height, and 33 cm in depth. Only the beginnings of the lines are preserved, and it is believed that the original inscription was twice as large. It is housed in the Museum of Ancient Iran in Tehran.
Transliteration:
1 [ dhal]-di-ni-ni uš-⸢ma-ši⸣-ni d⸢IM⸣ [x x x miš-pu-ú-i-ni-še]
2 mdsar5-⸢du-ri-hi-ni-še MAN⸣ KURbi-a-i-na-ú-⸢e⸣ [x x x x x x x x mmì-i-nu-a-še]
3 miš-pu-ú-⸢i-ni-hi-ni-še⸣ i-ú KURza-áš-ga-ú-[x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x]
4 [KUR?]-ni ha-⸢i-tú?⸣ ši-di-ši-⸢tú⸣-e e-ʾa dhal-[di-x x x x x x x x x x x]
5 ⸢ d⸣hal-di-⸢e-i⸣ ir-du-si URUú-i-še KUR[x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x]
6 [x]-lu?-i-du? i-na-e-di GIŠHI.A-e-di na-hi-bi?-e e-ṭu-⸢ú?⸣-x-[x x x x x x]
Translation:
“(1) Through the protection of the god [Hal]di, the Wea[ther-God … Išpuini], (2) son of Sarduri, king of the Bia lands [… (and) Minua], (3) son of Išpuini, when the land Zašgau-x […] (4) they conquered [the territory?], they built both a . . . and [a gate?] of the god Hal[di … gave it the name(?)] (5) “stronghold? of the god Haldi”. The city Uiše, the land X […] to . . . (and) to the trees … […].”
References:
Muscarella, O. W. 1971. “Qalatgah: an Urartian Site in Northwestern Iran,” Expedition 13, 44–49 (45–47).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 140–141, v. 3 pp. 88–89, v. 5 pp. 70–71.
van Loon, M. N. 1975. “The Inscription of Ishpuini and Menua at Qalatgah, Iran,” JNES 34, 201–207.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006895).
CTU A 3-10 = KUKN 39
Image Sources:
M. N. van Loon, 1975
M. Salvini, 2008
Qalatgah (A 5-61)
A stone slab with a 14-line inscription was found in 1967 at a site called Qalatgah in the Ushnu Valley of Iran. According to local accounts, the stele was discovered broken into pieces. Some fragments were taken by antiquities dealers, and their whereabouts are unknown. The bottom section (previously published as A 5-97), which contains the last five lines, is now in the Museum of Ancient Iran in Tehran. The publication of the text was only possible through a copy made by Ali Ḥakemi. The complete stele is estimated to have been approximately 56 cm high and 75 cm wide.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-ni-ni ⸢uš⸣-[ma-ši-ni]
2 mmì-i-nu-ú-[a-še]
3 miš-pu-u-i-ni-hi-⸢ni⸣-[še]
4 i-ni Ébar-zi-di-bi-du-ni
5 [za]-du-ni mmì-nu-ú-a-i
6 Ébar-zi-di-bi-du-ni ti-ni
7 É.GAL ši-di-iš-tú-ú-ni
8 ba-a-du-ú-si-i-e
9 dhal-di-ni-ni al-su-ši-ni
10 mmì-i-nu-ú-a-ni
11 miš-pu-ú-i-ni-hé
12 MAN DAN-NU MAN al-su-i-ni
13 MAN KURbi-a-i-na-a-ú-e
14 a-⸢lu-si⸣ [URUṭu-uš-pa-e URU]
Translation:
“(1) Through the pro[tection] of the god Haldi, Minua, (3) son of Išpuini, built this barzudibiduni building. (5) ‘barzudibiduni of Minua’ is (its) name. (7) He (also) built a fortress to perfection. (9) Through the greatness of the god Haldi (I am) Minua, (11) son of Išpuini, strong king, great king, (13) king of the Bia lands, lor[d of the Ṭušpa-City].”
References:
Friedrich, J. 1969. “Urartäische Inschriften aus Iran,” Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran 2, 121–122.
Muscarella, O. W. 1971. “Qalatgah: an Urartian Site in Northwestern Iran,” Expedition 13, 44–49 (45–47).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 244–245, v. 3 p. 190 (A 5-97), v. 5 pp. 163–164.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006959).
CTU A 5-61 = UKN II 379 = KUKN 46
Image Sources:
National Museum of Iran