Shield of Argishti I, 8th century BC

Shield of Argishti I, 8th century BC.

Argishti I was king of Urartu from 786 to 764 BC. He successfully repelled Assyrian attacks, extended the borders of Urartu in Transcaucasia and founded the city of Erebuni on the outskirts of present-day Yerevan. In Urartian cuneiform the sign š could also stand for the sound s, so the name may have sounded Argisti.

The shield is round, with a convex centre and a broad rim. Rows of embossed animal figures can be seen on its surface.