ORIENTAL STUDIES IN ARMENIA VOLUME 3 Արևելագիտությունը Հայաստանում, հատոր 3 | Page 84

was the new form of government, from the Neolithic or urban revolution to
the emergence of early states.
What kind of impact should have this Crisis on early societies of the
Armenian Highland in bringing them together?
Two factors could have been crucial. At the first place, the environmental
factor, namely the climate changes, which had serious impact on the economy.
"In 3250-2900’s and 2350-2000’s B.C there was a significant decline in
humidity and precipitation, which resulted in sharp decline in Lake Van,
Euphrates, Tigris and other western water resources, as well as a substantial
reduction of forested areas. We would like to note, that P.Avetisyan named
this very time frame as the period of emergence and establishment of early
statehood in the Armenian Highland. If we add to these also the geographic
and climatic features of the Armenian Highland (sharp cut reliefs, climatic
contrasts, considerable areas unsuitable for agricultural production and living
in general) then the environmental factor becomes more apparent.
As a second factor for the emergence of the statehood P.Avetisyan
mentions trade, especially in connection with the Kharberd-Malatia region,
where the trade and hence the need to organize and control that exchange
could also have been a precondition for the emergence of statehood.
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