OTL question--where were the Armenians?

Simple question: during the Iron Age, what region was inhabited by the speakers of what became Armenian?
 
The only map on that page includes Aramaean, Luwian, and Urartian territories within the Empire, with no real indication of core territory as opposed to conquests. Plus, it's about seven hundred years later than I'm looking for. (That's probably my fault, though, since "Iron Age" is pretty vague, after all.)
 
The only map on that page includes Aramaean, Luwian, and Urartian territories within the Empire, with no real indication of core territory as opposed to conquests. Plus, it's about seven hundred years later than I'm looking for. (That's probably my fault, though, since "Iron Age" is pretty vague, after all.)

Seven hundred years later... so after the Roman Empire falls? Well basically the same area except some of the coastal Mediterranean area would speak Latin or Greek, and the southeastern area and Caspian coast would speak Persian. And throughout the entire area of Armenia the rich would speak Persian or Latin.
 
Seven hundred years later... so after the Roman Empire falls? Well basically the same area except some of the coastal Mediterranean area would speak Latin or Greek, and the southeastern area and Caspian coast would speak Persian. And throughout the entire area of Armenia the rich would speak Persian or Latin.
Seven hundred years the other way.
 
According to my Penguin Atlas of Ancient History (1978) the Armenians were "Thraco-Cimmerians[1]", a people that lived along the northern and western shores of the Black sea from the north side of the Caucuses to, well, Thrace, from way back. The ones that became Armenians were one of those who moved south over the Caucuses from the the 600s as a result of the Scythians moving west, taking names and kicking ass as they went.

Of course, it is a fairly old book: perhaps later studies have shown some of this is hooey.

Bruce

[1] Conan the Armenian? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimmeria_(Conan)
 
I think I read somewhere (in Empires of the Word, maybe?) that the original Armenian speakers came from the Balkans, possibly along with the Phrygians . They then migrated across Anatolia, into present Armenia.

This article talks about it, I think.
 
I believe there is a lot of debate in academic circles, especially Armenian nationalists who claim Urartu as their antecendent, and others who think that the Armenians were their subject race...

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Well, the Wikipedia article on Urartu mention that the Armenian started to migrate to the Anatolia ca. 1200BC. And around 590BC when Urartu fell it was succeeded by an Armenian dynasty, implicating that by then the Armenians were the strongest group in that area.
 
Top