Tuesday, November 18, 2025

An Aramaic inscription in Türkiye

ARAMAIC WATCH: Ancient Aramaic inscription uncovered in rural Ardahan now under study at Kars Archaeology Museum (Türkiye Today).
An Aramaic inscription found in a rural village in Ardahan, northeastern Türkiye, has been moved to the Kars Archaeology and Ethnography Museum for detailed analysis, marking the first time such a text has been documented in the Kars–Ardahan region.
I think this inscription is new to me. On the content:
Specialists have begun creating a transcription to make the weathered text readable. Initial interpretations suggest that the name of King Artaksiad, associated with the Seleucid period, appears in the wording. Researchers point out that several rulers bore this name, yet the reference may correspond to the earliest known king with that title.

The inscription is believed to reflect political shifts in the region following the Seleucid defeat and the period when Roman authority began to shape local governance. Experts think the stone may contain hints of these transitions, although the full meaning will emerge only after the transcription has been completed.

They think it may be a boundary stone.

The stone does not look particularly weathered to me. There are a couple of clear photos of the inscription in the article. You epigraphers out there, this is your chance to have a go at a decipherment.

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