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⭐ In the context of Mannaean linguistic studies, what recent evidence from Hasanlu Tepe has influenced scholarly hypotheses?

Archaeological findings and genetic analysis from Hasanlu Tepe have led some researchers to propose that the language spoken by the Mannaeans may be related to the Armenian language, offering a new perspective on their ethno-linguistic origins.

⭐ Core Definition: Hasanlu Tepe

Teppe Hasanlu or Hasanlu Tepe (Persian: تپه حسنلو) is an archeological site of an ancient city located in northwest Iran (in the province of West Azerbaijan), a short distance south of Lake Urmia. The nature of its destruction at the end of the 9th century BC essentially froze one layer of the city in time, providing researchers with extremely well preserved buildings, artifacts, and skeletal remains from the victims and enemy combatants of the attack. The site was likely associated with the Mannaeans and possibly with the Armenians.

Hasanlu Tepe is the largest site in the Gadar River valley and dominates the small plain known as Solduz. The site consists of a 25-m-high central "citadel" mound, with massive fortifications and paved streets, surrounded by a low outer town, 8 m above the surrounding plain. The entire site, once much larger but reduced in size by local agricultural and building activities, now measures about 600 m across, with the citadel having a diameter of about 200 m.

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👉 Hasanlu Tepe in the context of Mannaeans

Mannaea (/məˈniːə/, sometimes written as Mannea; Akkadian: Mannai, Biblical Hebrew: Minni (מנּי)) was an ancient kingdom that flourished in northwestern Iran, primarily south and southeast of Lake Urmia, during the early first millennium BCE, roughly from the 10th to the 7th century BCE. It developed into a prominent regional power along the northeastern frontier of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, situated between major neighbors like Urartu and a constellation of smaller buffer states, such as Zikirta and Musasir. The capital of Mannaea was likely at Izirtu, near modern-day Saqqez.

Mannaea played a key role in the shifting alliances between the Assyrian and Urartian empires, acting alternately as ally and adversary. Archaeological and textual evidence points to a complex society with fortified cities, regional governors, and a tributary economy. Although its exact ethno-linguistic identity remains uncertain, Assyrian sources suggest the Mannaeans spoke an unidentified language. Some scholars link it to the Hurro-Urartian family, while others, based on recent genetic evidence from Hasanlu Tepe, propose ties to Armenian or a distinct non-Indo-Iranian language.

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