Lecture | Egeria Lecture
Artaxata – Capital of Ancient Armenia at the Foot of Mount Ararat: Urartean City, Hellenistic Metropolis, Roman Legionary Camp and Early Christian Center
- Date
- Wednesday 18 November 2026
- Time
- Address
- National Museum of Antiquities Leiden
Rapenburg 28
- Room
- Temple hall
Since 2018, a research team from the Armenian Academy of Sciences and the University of Münster has been investigating Artaxata, the Hellenistic capital and ancient capital of Armenia during the Roman era. They employ geophysical survey methods and conduct archaeological excavations. In his lecture, the excavation director Achim Lichtenberger presents the latest research findings, placing them within the context of current scholarly debates.
The Hellenistic city of Artaxata was founded in the early second century BCE and developed into a major metropolis. Excavations have yielded new insights into the city's urban layout, as well as into a significant precursor settlement from the Urartian period. In addition, the easternmost Roman arched aqueduct was discovered, and researchers found Armenia's oldest archaeologically attested church: an imposing octagonal structure dating back to the early fourth century CE.
Egeria Lecture
The Egeria Lecture is an annual lecture series on religion and culture in Late Antiquity, Early Christianity, and Ancient Judaism. Established in 2015, the series is organised by the National Museum of Antiquities Leiden, the Chair of History and Culture of Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, the Leiden University Institute for History, and the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society.
