Fragment of a cuneiform inscription of King Menua

This fragment of a cuneiform inscription belongs to King Menua of Urartu and dates from about 810–786 BC, the period of his reign. Urartu was a powerful kingdom in the Armenian Highlands. The fragment was found on Aghtamar Island in Lake Van, which once lay near the Urartian capital, Tushpa.

Menua’s inscriptions often link his achievements, such as building canals or fortresses, with the might of the supreme god Haldi. One of the deciphered inscriptions reads: “By the might of the god Haldi, Menua, son of Ishpuini, laid this canal.”

The photograph shows a round dark stone with several lines of cuneiform signs, lying on small light-coloured stones.