One of the most important events in the Armenian Highland at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennia BC is the spread of the Early Bronze Age Kura-Araxes culture towards the other parts of the highland and beyond. This phenomenon is known as “Kura-Araxes expansion”. The dating of the “expansion” at around 3000-2900 BC shows that it took place during the period of drastic climate change known as “5.2 ka BP climate event”.

Keywords Kura-Araxes culture expansion climate change palaeoenvironment mobility population movement depopulation.

Тhe 7th c. BC is considered as the period of formation and rise of the Median Empire. Meantime, economic crises, political instability, ethnic migrations, decline in military power, foreign invasions and, eventually, collapse of ancient state structures and depopulation were observed in the Armenian Highland and in Mesopotamia in the same period. These phenomena have usually occurred in the dramatic periods of the history of ancient Near East and, as a rule, were conditioned by climate change-related problems.

KeywordsMedian Empire Iranian Plateau Assyria Urartu palaeoenvironment climate changes crisis ethnic migrations depopulation.

The kingdom of Urartu (Biainili, 9th–7th centuries BC) was an ancient Near Eastern state with redistributive economy. According to the preserved written and archaeological data, the large granaries and cellars built by the royal power in the main cities/administrative centres of Urartu, could store tens of thousands of tons of grain and provide with food ca. 100–150 thousand people throughout a year.

KeywordsUrartian kingdom palace-temple economy cuneiform inscriptions archaeological sources grain reserves daily ration redistribution.