Armenians -Iron age and medival - 23andme format files

Armenian genesis begins with steppe indo european populations trickling down into anatolia in the bronze age. They descend from an early indo-european population distantly related to the indo-europeans in europe and central asia. While indo-european europeans descend from Corded Ware, Unetice, and Bell Beaker cultures, the Armenians descend from Sredni Stog culture, which is a distant relative of those European IE speakers.

By the 6th century BCE, Armenia became part of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, divided into satrapies, but with Armenian noble houses retaining influence. With Alexander the Great’s conquest (4th century BCE), Armenia briefly came under Hellenistic influence but remained largely independent, forming the Orontid dynasty (also called Yervanduni). Following the fragmentation of Alexander’s empire, Armenia was caught between Seleucid Greece and Parthian Iran.

The earliest Armenian ruling dynasty was the Artaxiad dynasty. Under Artaxias 1st, much of the lands inhabited by Armenians were united in one country.

In 66BCE, Armenia became a client state of Rome.

King Tiridates the third converted to Christianity in 301AD, making Armenia the first officially Christian state. Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia is the oldest cathedral in the world

Until the arab conquest, Armenia was a part of Persian Sassanid world.

Despite Arab influence, Armenians managed to maintain their Christian culture and re-emerged as a state under Ashot the first, called the Bagratid kingdom of Armenia.