Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday


Historical witnesses: 40-century-old cup of Armenia's Karashamb village



YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. 35% of the national collection
consisting of 400.000 items in the History Museum of Armenia are
archaeological items excavated in Armenia. Among them are wooden
carriages of the Bronze Age, ritual hearths excavated from the tribal
leaders’ mausoleums, bronze sculptures, weapons, jewelry, tableware,
cups and belts made of multi-layered scenes that testify the beliefs
of ancestors, cosmic perceptions, beliefs symbolizing the idea of sun,
water an fertility.

ARMENPRESS launches a new project where the exclusive findings kept in
the History Museum and their histories will be presented. Let’s start
the list from 10 the most interesting cups, and then will go to the
history of swords.

The 40-century-old cup of Karashamb which depicts a whole myth

More than 40-century-old cup has a unique place in the archeological
collection of the History Museum of Armenia which was found in 1987 by
archeologist Vahan Hovhannisyan during the excavations in Karashamb
village.

Julieta Karapetyan, senior researcher at the archaeological department
of the History Museum of Armenia, told Armenpress that the silver cup
has been discovered in the “royal” tomb together with other numerous
valuable items. It is a unique example of the ancient Eastern
iconography and has a unique significance in understanding the
spiritual and material culture of the Bronze Age Armenia. “The
presence of the cup proves that the region has been a serious
production and cultural center”, she said, adding that the cup of
Karashamb is the most ancient monument.

Julieta Karapetyan said that the Karashamb cup is also a unique sample
of applied art. The craftsman managed to present the myth on the cup
with all details and with exceptional skills. Images of 25 people, 36
animals and more than 60 different subjects are depicted on the cup.

The cup of Karashamb has been displayed in different museums of the
world, in particular, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York,
the History Museum of Russia and etc.