Old lines beside the road
Two Urartian inscriptions are carved into rock at Karataşlar on the Van–Erciş road. According to the district governor’s account, the cuneiform within their framed surfaces records King Sarduri establishing vineyards in the area. This eighth-century BCE record is evidence of a long history of grape cultivation around Erciş.
From a grape to the past
Remembering these inscriptions when encountering Erciş grapes gives an everyday food another dimension. An ancient vineyard record does not by itself prove that the grapes grown then were the same variety cultivated today. It does, however, show that growing grapes here is far from a recent activity.
Details in stone
An inscription matters for what it records, not simply for its size. Consider the arrangement of the signs and the surface set aside for them: an apparently ordinary rock becomes a historical document. When looking or photographing, leave the surface untouched; do not apply water, chalk or paint to make the marks stand out.
