ARCHEOLOGY

[MosJan]

I don’t want to make light of this . MY ONLY HOPE IS THAT THIS DOES NOT TURN OUT TO BE A PRANK even if independent labs have confirmed its age. Below Paul cites many “shoe sayings”. Let’s see how many shoe jokes and sayings we can find.

http://asbarez.com/81940/if-its-a-hye-shoe-lets-wear-it-out/

Also se this; http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/World's_oldest_leather_shoe_found_in_Armenia?dpl_id=190678

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- Asbarez Armenian News - http://asbarez.com -

If It’s A Hye Shoe, Let’s Wear It Out

Posted By Paul Chaderjian On June 11, 2010 @ 2:12 pm In Columns, Three Apples | 1 Comment

BY PAUL CHADERJIAN

 

Once there were and there were not … a fashionable shoe that is now known as “the world’s oldest shoe found in an Armenian cave.”

[1]And what was found in a cave in Armenia this week was not just the world’s oldest shoe, but there were scarves and pots and pans and two skulls with missing jaws. This story feels like Armenians have just put on a pair of new shoes, and everything feels alright (Nutini 2007).

Our ancestors were apparently not only fashionable, wearing moccasins in a style that survived for nearly six millennia, but they were also good at housekeeping and quite brutal. One of the skulls must have pulled a Helen Thomas and had his or her jaw yanked right off its face.

This bizarre headline of the day was bigger than the BP (beautiful people) oil spill for a split second. The story went viral, and it warrants all the clichés we can remember to use. So let’s capitalize on these rare gifts from the universe, because good PR comes too infrequently for our people. And criminal Armenians in the news hurt like brand new shoes (Sade 1983).

What other shoe stories can our people’s history and present day tell the world? What shoes are we filling that can help our people and the global population? Whose steps are we following and who is following in your footsteps? Where are all the goody-two-shoes (Ant 1981)?

The shoe is on our foot now, so we have to see what we can do with this instant headline. Let’s think big. Sex & the City III can be shot in Armenia. Its subtitle could be “the Oldest Armenian Shoe Romance Cruise on Lake Sevan.” Or Super Old Shoe, the superhero. Or Immigrants For (IV) – the shoes they stole. Or how about Shoe Tourism (Asbarez 2010)?

The fact that the story of the world’s oldest shoe being found in Armenia doesn’t happen every day. Maybe it happens once in the history of Earth?

This got me thinking. How little do we know about what people find interesting in the Armenian world. I also realize how little I must know about my ancestors that a dung-covered shoe makes me proud. And how fast do we embrace anything Armenian just because it’s in the headlines!

Maybe before our people discovered pointed shoes were cool, we had better fashion sense. Maybe God spoke to Noah about what proper footwear was when He told the old man to pack his family and animal friends into the Arc. Perhaps this was Noah’s right shoe? Could it be? But if this was Noah’s shoe, what happened to the left shoe and the jaws missing from the skulls?

And what do we know about the fashion sense of our ancestors who walked in and out of those ancient monasteries and architectural marvels? Did they all wear fashionable shoes? Were there multiple colors of leather? Were there different styles? Did people show off their shoes to each other as a sign of affluence and trend-setting? Were there fashion trends three thousand years before Christ? What great fashion secrets are buried on the grounds of our ancestral Homeland that have yet to be unearthed and studied? Who will break the fashion trend news sooner? E! and TMZ or Hollyscoop?

Inquiring minds want to know (That cliché is courtesy of 80s TV commercials that also gave birth to “Where’s the Beef,” and “When EF Huffington speaks, people listen.” Actually, it was EF Hutton, but it’s 2010).

Now back to Shusho (no, not the singer)…

So many questions about these shoes and not many answers. And gosh darn it, the day after the news was announced, there were more articles surfacing about how this shoe in Armenia was not the oldest shoe since there was a shoe in Missouri that was dated to be at least 10,000-years-old. There went my instant excitement for our Homeland’s instant claim to fame.

Don’t you love walking in my shoes (Depeche Mode 2006).

And what about this fascination that was sparked by this ancient shoe. Apparently everyone has wanted to read the story, and from the BBC to the Associated Press were journalists speaking the word Armenia within proximity of the words ‘oldest shoe in the world.’ There were interviews on CNN and the story turned out to be the most popular one on Armenian websites.

Among the facts reported were that the shoe was at least 5,500 years old. The cave was in Vayots Dzor, southeast of Yerevan. And the shoe was covered by sheep and deer poop.

Why did the oldest shoe story make everyone so excited? Did it reaffirm for Armenians our excellent fashion sense? Why did non-Armenians find this oldest shoe story so interesting? Was it because we imagined that Noah and his party crew didn’t wear shoes? Was it because the skulls had no jaws? Or was it because the shoe was stuffed with grass so that it would retain its shape?

Act your age not your shoe size (Prince 1986).

Can you imagine the flocks of scientists and anthropologists that can now be attracted to our Homeland? Can you imagine the funding new digs will receive? Can you imagine the thousands of headlines that can be unearthed when modern-day scientists study ancient-day Armenians? If our shoes predate the Pharaoh’s, we can be the rock stars of the universe, and no longer walking like an Egyptian (Bangles 1986).

I love my narcissistic self, don’t I? Yes, I do (Pinsky 2009).

And if there was one shoe in one cave, what’s the likelihood of us finding more oldest, older than oldest, less old than the older shoe in the world. Perhaps there’s a tourism industry here: Shoe Travel.

Maybe there’s even a Travel Channel series in tracking the oldest shoe in the world. Samantha Brown would be a good hostess to tap in search of places to sleep and eat when going on a Oldest Shoes Tourism Trip. Samantha would even lure Anthony Bourdain and that Man vs. Food guy could be challenged to see how many skewers of khorovadz and how many khacapuris he can down in one sitting in the middle of Republic Square.

We’re really onto something now. And it all started with the drop of one oldest shoe story on the Internet. What will happen when the second shoe drops? Between the first and second shoe, we have a lot of homework to do. If our ancient shoe is this popular, can you imagine what we can do with the really interesting shoe stories from the Homeland?

Let’s put our best foot forward (Overbury 1613).

And three shoes fell from heaven: one for the storyteller, one for him who made him tell it, and one for you the reader.

PS Knock Knock. Who’s there. Hye Shoe. Bless You

 

Article printed from Asbarez Armenian News: http://asbarez.com

URL to article: http://asbarez.com/81940/if-its-a-hye-shoe-lets-wear-it-out/

Click here to print.

Copyright © 2010 Asbarez Armenian News. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Wish Granted Arpa Jan

http://asbarez.com/167842/cnns-anthony-bourdain-travels-armenia-and-artsakh-filming-for-parts-unknown/

 

http://asbarez.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/22519140_10214900068995112_6791753863914514422_n.jpg

[Yervant1]

News.am, Armenia

Jan 12 2018

Japanese expert: Archaeological monuments are the treasure of Armenia

14:32, 12.01.2018

YEREVAN. – Archaeological monuments are the treasure of Armenia and so they need serious protection, doctor of the Tokai University Makoto Arimura said in Yerevan.

Dr. Arimura has been cooperating with the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia for five years, the subject of his interest is the Neolithic period. Briefing Armenian journalists on the concept of the Neolithic period, Dr. Arimura said that he worked in Syria and Turkey, Central Asia and Georgia.

“There are many Neolithic monuments in Syria and Turkey. However, our data on the Caucasus from period of 10 to 6 thousand needs a deeper research,” said the doctor.

Speaking about the inn Lernagog 1 (8-7 thousand BC) discovered in 2017 in the Armavir region, the expert noted that many excavations in the Ararat valley had been conducted before, but no archeological site dating back to the period before 6 thousand BC has been ever found.

“Since we couldn’t find more ancient ones, we tried to look elsewhere. We began our exploration and five years ago found Lernagog 1. This year, I conducted excavations with my colleagues and my students. We found many objects from obsidian and bones. Studies show that the inn is older than 7 thousand BC. The discovery of architecture in Lernagog was a real surprise. This is a unique find for this period in this region. Unfortunately, the found so far is not all excavated, this year we will excavate completely. However, I think that the continuation of the excavation can also lead to finding other similar encampments”, said Dr. Arimura, adding that earlier such monuments were not known in Armavir.

According to his assessment, from the point of view of the Neolithic period, Armenia is of special importance because the wild wheat was found here, and it is possible that the domestication of wheat began exactly from this region.

“Architectural monuments must be protected, because otherwise they are in danger of destruction. They are the treasure of Armenia. There are many good specialists here which is very important in terms of cooperation”, Dr. Arimura emphasized.

https://news.am/eng/news/430729.html

[Yervant1]

News.am, Armenia

Jan 12 2018

Expert: Ancient unique inn was discovered in Armenia in 2017 (PHOTOS)

14:48, 12.01.2018

YEREVAN. – In 2017, a total of 39 expeditions were conducted, including 16 joint—with the scientific centers of other countries, in the provinces of Armenia.

Pavel Avetisyan, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Armenia, informed the aforementioned at a press conference on Friday.

And as the most noteworthy result of this work, Avetisyan pointed to the Lernagog 1 monument in the Armavir Province. He said the layers of an inn dating back from the 8th to the 7th millennium BC were discovered in the area for the first time. The expert noted that the most ancient respective layers that were found in Armenia before this discovery had dated back to the first quarter of the 6th millennium BC.

The excavations were carried out in cooperation with Japanese specialists.

Avetisyan noted that “rescue” excavations of monuments, which could have remained under the North-South Highway being constructed, also had started in the year past.

He added that all respective activities will continue in 2018, too.

Also, Pavel Avetisyan stated that archaeological summer schools are planned in Armenia, especially one such summer school in Masis town, and in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

https://news.am/eng/news/430724.html

[Yervant1]

Not surprised at all, this is what Turkey does all the time, make someone else's work their own. They have no shame!

News.am, Armenia

Oct 13 2018

Turkish newspaper presents Armenian fortress as a Turkish one (PHOTO)

09:50, 13.10.2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey's Milliyet newspaper presented Armenian Tevrik fortress in Sebastia as a Turkish one.

The article says that the fortress was built by Turkic tribes in 1230.

Tevrik was founded in 855 by the leader of Pavlikian movement Koreas. The Armenian military commander was using the fortress as a foothold in his struggle against the Byzantine Empire.

https://news.am/eng/news/475620.html

 

 

[MosJan]

nothing new..

[Yervant1]

Aravot, Armenia

Jan 17 2020

Archaeologists discover ancient aqueduct near Khor Virap

January 17,2020 13:25 37

ԵՌԱԳՈՅՆ. Archaeologists have discovered an ancient water supply system in Armenia with almost two thousand years of history, reports ArmInfo.

According to director of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Bavel Avedisian, not far from the ancient monastery of Khor Virap, the foundations of an aqueduct – a water conduit for supplying water from sources located above them – were found. In total, within the framework of the Armenian-German program, 20 foundations were found, located over a length of half a mile, Avedisian specified at a press conference on January 14. According to experts, they relate to 114 to 117 AD, and give insight to the water supply system of ancient Artashat.

Avedisian did not exclude the possibility that the aqueduct was used to supply water from the Garni River. According to him, the research will continue in the current year.

Apart from the aqueduct, archaeologists have yet to study another major find: geomagnetic studies have revealed the surviving foundations of large palace buildings in the vicinity of modern Artashat, near the 13th hill. All foundations are now located on privatized lands, which means that, in order to excavate, archaeologists must come to an agreement with the current owners. Avedisian expressed hope that this process will begin this year. The excavations will make it possible to present the ancient Artashat to the scientific community in a completely new way, he explained.

The town of Artashat has a long and rich history, as a settlement in ancient Artashat has existed since the Urartian period. From 190 to 189 BC, Armenia gained independence from the Seleucids. Following independence, its first king was Artashes I, who later founded Artashat (“joy of Artashes”).

https://www.aravot-en.am/2020/01/17/248575/

[Yervant1]

ARTnews

Feb 28 2023

A Mysterious Tomb was Unearthed in Armenia, Containing a Couple Who Died at the Same Time

BY SHANTI ESCALANTE-DE MATTEI

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For the past ten years Polish and Armenian archaeologists have been excavating the site of Metsamor, a once important religious and economic center in ancient Armenia. Recently, researchers uncovered a well preserved tomb that contains the remains of a couple.

“The death of these people is a mystery to us, we do not know the cause, but everything indicates that they died simultaneously, because there are no traces of the reopening of the tomb” Dr. Krzysztof Jakubiak, director of the Metsomar expedition, said in a press release.

The discovery is a rare one, not for the couple interred inside but because most of the tombs of Metsomar have been looted. This one is untouched.

Along with the couple, researchers have also found precious artifacts, including hundreds of beads and gold and carnelian pendants that made up three necklaces, ceramic vessels that came from the Syrian-Mesopotamian borderlands, and the remains of a wooden burial bed.

The tomb dates from the late Late Bronze Age (1300–1200 BC), making it around 3,200 years old. Metsomar belonged to the empire of Urartu, which spanned parts of modern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia. Metsomar was continuously settled from the 4th to 17th century until it was destroyed by Scythian or Cimmerian nomads. Though the artifacts left behind in Metsomar suggest a thriving society, little is known of the people who lived there as they seemed to have no written language and, as a result, have left no texts behind.

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/armenia-poland-archaeology-tomb-metsomar-1234658969/– ARTnews.com

[Yervant1]

3,200-year-old tomb — filled with gold treasure — unearthed in Armenia, photos show

BY ASPEN PFLUGHOEFT

FEBRUARY 27, 2023 4:44 PM

Archaeologists excavating a cemetery in Metsamor found a couple’s grave filled with gold necklaces, pottery and a funeral bed, photos show. Photo from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

Scouring an ancient necropolis in Armenia, looters dug up burial sites and kept whatever valuables they found. As the centuries stretched on, once-elaborate tombs were picked clean one by one.

For whatever reason, one particular tomb went unopened for millennia.

The Metsamor archaeological site in Armenia, near the border with Turkey, was inhabited from the 4th millennium B.C. until the 17th century, according to a news release from Science in Poland. Layers upon layers of human life have accumulated at the settlement.

The oldest portion of Metsamor was a settlement surrounded by walls with a necropolis, or cemetery, nearby, experts said.

A joint team of Polish and Armenian archaeologists decided to excavate the necropolis, according to the Feb. 27 news release.

The archaeologists uncovered a stone tomb where two people were buried, according to a news release from Armenia’s Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves. The tomb was just almost a square, measuring about 8 feet by 7 feet.

Archaeologists work to excavate the tomb. Photo from Science in Poland

The floor of the tomb was made of stones with a funeral bed placed on top, archaeologists said. The two skeletons were found touching at the hip but facing opposite directions.

A man and a woman, most likely a couple, were buried in this tomb between 1300 and 1200 B.C., Polish archaeologists said. The well-preserved bones indicated the pair had slightly shrunken legs and died between the age of 30 and 40.

Researchers don’t know how the couple died, but they died together, archaeologist Krzysztof Jakubiak told Science in Poland. Their tomb showed no signs of being reopened — either for a second burial or for looting.

Buried around the pair was a rich collection of treasure. Archaeologists found over 100 jewelry beads, including several gold pendants. Photos show the delicate pieces.

Some of the jewelry beads and gold pendants found in the tomb. Photo from Science in Poland

The mixture of beads, mostly made from gold and carnelian, a red-brown stone, likely formed three necklaces, Jakubiak said in the release.

A vase imported from the Syrian-Mesopotamian region was also uncovered from the 3,200-year-old tomb, researchers said. This imported vessel was one of about a dozen pottery items found.

A bronze bracelet was found around the wrist of one skeleton; a thin, tin ring found on the other’s wrist, Armenian archaeologists said.

A set of beads from the tomb. Photo from Science in Poland

Archaeologists have excavated about 100 burials at Metsamor’s necropolis, according to Science in Poland. Most of the graves were looted, leaving just a few untouched.

Beyond the necropolis, Metsamor also boasts a fortress complex used from the 11th to 9th century B.C., Polish archaeologists said. This complex is surrounded by temples with seven sanctuaries.

The ruins of a large columned hall, likely a public building, dating from this Iron Age period were also found at the site, according to a news release from Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw. Photos show the dusty remains of this structure.

Ruins of the columned hall found at part of the Metsamor site. Photo from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

Over the millenia, Metsamor emerged as an economic, cultural and spiritual urban center, according to the Polish Centre. Excavations have been ongoing at the site for over a decade.

Metsamor is about 20 miles southwest of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Google Translate was used to translate news releases from Science in Poland, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw and Armenia’s Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/world/article272617615.html#storylink=cpy

3,200-year-old tomb — filled with gold treasure — unearthed in Armenia, photos show

BY ASPEN PFLUGHOEFT

FEBRUARY 27, 2023 4:44 PM

Archaeologists excavating a cemetery in Metsamor found a couple’s grave filled with gold necklaces, pottery and a funeral bed, photos show. Photo from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

Scouring an ancient necropolis in Armenia, looters dug up burial sites and kept whatever valuables they found. As the centuries stretched on, once-elaborate tombs were picked clean one by one.

For whatever reason, one particular tomb went unopened for millennia.

The Metsamor archaeological site in Armenia, near the border with Turkey, was inhabited from the 4th millennium B.C. until the 17th century, according to a news release from Science in Poland. Layers upon layers of human life have accumulated at the settlement.

The oldest portion of Metsamor was a settlement surrounded by walls with a necropolis, or cemetery, nearby, experts said.

A joint team of Polish and Armenian archaeologists decided to excavate the necropolis, according to the Feb. 27 news release.

The archaeologists uncovered a stone tomb where two people were buried, according to a news release from Armenia’s Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves. The tomb was just almost a square, measuring about 8 feet by 7 feet.

Archaeologists work to excavate the tomb. Photo from Science in Poland

The floor of the tomb was made of stones with a funeral bed placed on top, archaeologists said. The two skeletons were found touching at the hip but facing opposite directions.

A man and a woman, most likely a couple, were buried in this tomb between 1300 and 1200 B.C., Polish archaeologists said. The well-preserved bones indicated the pair had slightly shrunken legs and died between the age of 30 and 40.

Researchers don’t know how the couple died, but they died together, archaeologist Krzysztof Jakubiak told Science in Poland. Their tomb showed no signs of being reopened — either for a second burial or for looting.

Buried around the pair was a rich collection of treasure. Archaeologists found over 100 jewelry beads, including several gold pendants. Photos show the delicate pieces.

Some of the jewelry beads and gold pendants found in the tomb. Photo from Science in Poland

The mixture of beads, mostly made from gold and carnelian, a red-brown stone, likely formed three necklaces, Jakubiak said in the release.

A vase imported from the Syrian-Mesopotamian region was also uncovered from the 3,200-year-old tomb, researchers said. This imported vessel was one of about a dozen pottery items found.

A bronze bracelet was found around the wrist of one skeleton; a thin, tin ring found on the other’s wrist, Armenian archaeologists said.

A set of beads from the tomb. Photo from Science in Poland

Archaeologists have excavated about 100 burials at Metsamor’s necropolis, according to Science in Poland. Most of the graves were looted, leaving just a few untouched.

Beyond the necropolis, Metsamor also boasts a fortress complex used from the 11th to 9th century B.C., Polish archaeologists said. This complex is surrounded by temples with seven sanctuaries.

The ruins of a large columned hall, likely a public building, dating from this Iron Age period were also found at the site, according to a news release from Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw. Photos show the dusty remains of this structure.

Ruins of the columned hall found at part of the Metsamor site. Photo from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

Over the millenia, Metsamor emerged as an economic, cultural and spiritual urban center, according to the Polish Centre. Excavations have been ongoing at the site for over a decade.

Metsamor is about 20 miles southwest of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Google Translate was used to translate news releases from Science in Poland, the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw and Armenia’s Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/world/article272617615.html#storylink=cpy

[MosJan]

part of me is happy for the find.. but i wish it was never disturbed.. the site would be neglected.. destroyed

[Yervant1]

March 31 2023

Archaeology Archaeologists in Armenia Just Unearthed an Ancient ‘Golden Tomb’ Filled With Jewelry and Artifacts—See the Treasures Here

It's the latest find from a joint Polish and Armenian excavation effort begun in 2013.

Sarah Cascone, March 31, 2023

Beads and gold pendants from a recently discovered tomb at the Metsamor necropolis in Armenia. Photo courtesy of Science in Poland.

Archaeologists at Metsamor, an ancient necropolis in Armenia, have discovered a tomb filled with gold pendants and more than a hundred amber and carnelian beads. Dating to the late Bronze Age (1,300 to 1,200 B.C.E.), the grave also held the remains of a man and a woman, who appear to have be buried at the same time.

“Their death is a mystery to us, we do not know the cause, but everything indicates that they died at the same time, because there are no traces of tomb reopening,” Krzysztof Jakubiak, an archaeology professor at the University of Warsaw, said in a statement.

Laid to rest in an eternal embrace, the couple was buried in a cist, a stone-lined chamber dug into the ground. Believed to have died in their 30s, one wore bronze bracelets, the other a tin wire ring.

The grave also included a wooden burial bed, a faience flask, and about a dozen ceramic vessels. According to researchers, the beads and pendants were originally part of three necklaces, and the flask would have been imported from the Syrian-Mesopotamian borderland.

The newly discovered “golden tomb” at the Metsamor necropolis in Armenia. Photo courtesy of the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

The research project at the Ararack Valley is a joint effort the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw and Armenia’s Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves, led by Jakubiak and Ashot Piliposian. The partnership has been ongoing since 2013, according to the Greek publication Archaeology; an exhibition of their findings opened last fall at the Armenian History Museum in nearby Yerevan.

To date, archaeologists have discovered about 100 graves in the cemetery, but the newly found golden tomb is one of the few that were not looted prior to the start of excavations in 1965. The cist graves would have been covered with burial mounds of earth that have eroded over the centuries.

Because the ancient Armenians do not appear to have been illiterate, and left behind no written records, archaeologists know little about Metsamor society. The walled settlement was at its height from 4th to the 2nd millennium B.C.E., with temple complexes surrounding a central fortress.

“It was a very large settlement. Even fortifications made of huge stone blocks have survived to our times, encircling the so-called citadel on the hill,” Jakubiak said. “There was no other settlement in the region that could be compared in terms of importance and size.”

See more photos from the excavations and of the objects from the tomb below.

Beads and gold pendants from a recently discovered tomb at the Metsamor necropolis in Armenia. Photo courtesy of Science in Poland.

The citadel at the Metsamor necropolis in Armenia. Photo by Simon Zdziebłowski.

See more photos at https://news.artnet.com/art-world/archaeologists-in-armenia-discover-ancient-golden-tomb-2278370

[Yervant1]

April 3 2023

UPDATED 3 APRIL, 2023 - 14:57 NATHAN FALDE

Bronze Age Romeo and Juliet Buried in Loving Embrace in Tomb in Armenia

Archaeologists recently opened a Late Bronze Age (c 1,200 BC) tomb at the huge Metsamor site in Armenia. Inside was a cornucopia of small gold artifacts, including dozens of loose pieces from three gold necklaces that must have been spectacularly beautiful when they were joined together. But even more remarkably, the tomb contained the bodies of a man and a woman who’d been buried side by side, locked in each other’s arms in a loving embrace that was obviously meant to last for eternity.

Were these two individuals star-crossed lovers, who like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet met a tragic fate that prevented them from spending their lives together in this world? Did one die unexpectedly, provoking the other to commit suicide (as Romeo and Juliet did) so they could join their beloved in the afterworld?

Estimates are that the two people were in their 30s at the time of their deaths, so it does seem their deaths were somewhat premature. Unlike the fictional Romeo and Juliet, however, who ended up laying side by side in their tombs despite their family’s attempts to keep them apart, the two Bronze Age partners were intentionally buried side-by-side by family members or friends who chose to honor their relationship in death just as they’d respected it in life.

“Their death is a mystery to us, we do not know the cause, but everything indicates that they died at the same time, because there are no traces of the tomb reopening,” University of Warsaw archaeology professor and study participant Krzysztof Jakubiak said in a statement published by the organization by the Polish press agency PAP.

An Elaborately Furnished Tomb for the Ancient Romeo and Juliet

According to Artnet, the interior of the man and woman’s tomb was decorated with an assortment of attractive and interesting grave goods. This included a wooden burial bed, a faience flask (a type of tin-glazed ceramic pottery), and other types of ceramic vessels, the latter of which were intact. The flask was a luxury item that would not have been produced locally, but would have been imported from the borderland region of Syria and Mesopotamia.

In addition to the pieces of the gold, some of which were in the form of Celtic crosses , the Polish and Armenian archaeologists also unearthed more than a hundred amber and carnelian beads, which may also have attached to the three golden necklaces. All of the gold pieces and beads demonstrated high levels of craftsmanship, indicating an advanced jewelry making capacity among the residents of the lands of Armenia in the 13 th century BC.

The contents of the tomb clearly included items that had personal meaning to its occupants. In addition to the pieces of the broken necklaces that lay near them, the two bodies were adorned with bronze bracelets in the case of the woman and a tin wire ring in the case of the man.

The doomed Late Bronze Age couple were laid to rest inside a cist, a stone-lined chamber implanted in the ground and surrounded by heavy stones. At the time of their entombment their grave would have been covered with a burial mound, as would the 100 plus other graves that have been uncovered in the ancient necropolis at Metsamor over the years. But no traces of these mounds are left today. In fact, only a few of the more than 100 graves that have been discovered since excavations began in 1965 had not been looted by antiquities thieves, and archaeologists know that an extraordinary collection of valuable grave goods and other items have been stolen from Metsamor over the centuries.

Tracing the History of Metsamor and its Mysterious Occupants

First excavated nearly six decades ago, Metsamor is one of the most well-known and prodigious archaeological sites in the republic of Armenia, a small country located just to the east of Turkey in the highlands of Western Asia. Metsamor can be found approximately 22 miles (36 kilometers) to the west of Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan.

The 2,200-year-old necropolis or cemetery at Metsamor is sprawling and massive, covering more than 250 acres (100 hectares). It was constructed next to a fortified settlement, which was larger than any village found in the area by archaeologists so far. A lot of graves have been discovered at the site since excavations were launched in the 1960s, but the hopes of archaeologists have been dashed time and again when it has been revealed that almost all of these graves was looted long ago and were therefore empty.

The newly discovered “golden tomb” at the Metsamor necropolis in Armenia. Photo Credit: Polish Center of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

The experts do not know who resided in the region around Metsamor in the Late Bronze Age. The residents who occupied the fortified village there did not have a written language, so they left behind no information about who they were or what they believed.

“But it was a great settlement,” Professor Jakubiak stated. “Even fortifications made of huge stone blocks have survived to our times, encircling the so-called the citadel. At the end of the 2nd millennium BC, there was no settlement in the region that could be compared in terms of rank and size."

During its peak of prehistoric prosperity, which lasted from the fourth through the second millennium BC, the settlement was spread out over 25 acres (10 hectares) and was surrounded by stone walls. Even more glorious days were to come, and Metsamor grew during the early Iron Age (11th to 9 th centuries BC) to nearly 10 times this size, and featured a central area that included multiple temple complexes and sanctuaries. In the eighth century BC Metsamor was absorbed into the large regional kingdom of Urarat, which is referred to as Ararat in the Bible.

The excavations that unearthed the carefully posed bodies of the ill-fated couple took place in the autumn of last year. Joint Polish-Armenian explorations at Metsamor have been ongoing on a seasonal basis since 2013, and will continue at a location that has proven to be incredibly fertile and productive for archaeologists investigating the history of this region of Western Asia.

Top image: Two skeletons embracing. Note, this is representational and not the find in Armenia ( Dagmar Hollmann / Wikimedia Commons. CC by SA 4.0)

By Nathan Falde

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/armenian-tomb-0018183

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Remarkable Discovery: Over 30,000 Ancient Relics Unearthed From 6,000-Year-Old Tomb By Archaeologists In Armenia's Southern Yeghegis Village
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In a remarkable archaeological find, over 30,000 relics have been unearthed from a 6,000-year-old tomb in Yeghegis, Armenia. The tomb was discovered during excavations, which began in 2020, reports Armenpress.
Professor Levon Yepiskoposyan, leading the Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Biology, highlighted the significance of the find. He pointed out that the unearthed relics symbolize a pivotal era when societies transitioned from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to agricultural practices.
Among the findings were the remains of both domesticated and wild animals, indicating that hunting played a crucial role in the lives of these ancient Armenian peoples. This detail was further elaborated by junior researcher Satenik Mkrtchyan, who emphasized the importance of the wild animal remains in understanding human activities of the era.
The Yeghegis 1 archaeological site has captivated the attention of international expedition teams and experts, underscoring Armenia’s longstanding allure in the global archaeological community. Professor Yepiskoposyan remarked, “Armenia has always been an interesting location on the world’s archaeological map,” a testament to the country’s rich historical and cultural significance.
He further elucidated, “Armenia’s territory is situated in such a location which, according to experts, has always been the crossroads of migration of people and animals during all periods of time,” shedding light on the strategic importance of Armenia’s location.
The ongoing excavations, set to continue in July 2024, promise to uncover more about this fascinating period and contribute further to our understanding of ancient Armenian societies. This discovery not only adds a significant chapter to Armenia’s archaeological record but also the broader narrative of human history.
Yeghegis (Եղեգիս) is a village in the Yeghegis Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. It has a rich historical past, with the medieval Zorats Church, the Tsakhats Kar Monastery, and the Smbataberd fortress near Yeghegis.
The name Yeghegis originated from the Armenian word yeghegn, which means reed.
Yeghegis was a prominent economic and political center during the Middle Ages, being the seat of the Orbelian Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries, which ruled most of Zangezur. However, after the incursion of the armies of Timur, Turkmen, and Persian forces, Orbelian rule ended by the 15th century. After numerous earthquakes ruined Yeghegis and with the local Armenian population being forcibly exiled into Persia, the village was abandoned.
Following the Sumgait pogrom in 1988, Armenian refugees from Sumgait were deported from Azerbaijan and settled in the village in 1988.

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https://youtube.com/shorts/Sjwe2bSwjJk?si=yIeJXmEWbdK2E3rG

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https://teletype.in/@search4past/NGQcdpIUQfO

 

The small village of Hovhannavan, located in Armenia, has made an amazing archaeological discovery that has attracted the attention of historians, archaeologists and locals alike. Recently, a report has appeared detailing the discovery of a medieval tomb carved in the rock. This discovery, hidden underground for centuries, has only just begun to be studied, but the story of its discovery is already intriguing.

 

 

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Բացառիկ սեպագրեր են հայտնաբերվել Էրեբունու տարածքում. Միքայել Բադալյանը մանրամասներ է հայտնում

Ամբողջական հոդվածը կարող եք կարդալ այս հասցեով՝ https://www.aravot.am/2024/07/11/1432155/

© 1998 - 2024 Առավոտ – Լուրեր Հայաստանից

Հայ-ֆրանսիական հնագիտական արշավախումբը, որի համաղեկավարներն են հայկական կողմից՝ պատմական գիտությունների թեկնածու, հնագետ Միքայել Բադալյանը, իսկ ֆրանսիական կողմից՝ Ստեֆան Դեշամպը, մայիս-հունիս ամիսներին Էրեբունի ամրոցում պեղումներ է իրականացրել եւ ֆանտաստիկ արդյունքներ գրանցել: Aravot.am-ի հետ զրույցում Միքայել Բադալյանը հայտնեց, որ պեղումներն իրականացրել են եւ ամրոցում, եւ ամրոցից դուրս, ընդ որում ամրոցից դուրս պեղումները շարունակվել են նախորդ տարվա տեղամասում, որտեղ գտնվել էին Աքեմենյան ժամանակաշրջանի հատակներ: «Գտնվեցին կավածեփ հատակներ, կենդանական ոսկորներ, խեցեղենի մնացորդներ, ածխի ու կառույցի հետքեր: Սա փաստում է, որ հետուրարտական փուլում այդտեղ բավական լուրջ կենսագործունեություն ունենք: Ամրոցի տարածքում պեղումներն իրականացվել են Սուսի տաճարի շուրջ գտնվող սենյակներում եւ այսպես կոչված՝ փոքր դահլիճում ու այդ դահլիճին կից կարասային սրահում, որը մասամբ պեղվել էր խորհրդային ժամանակաշրջանում:

Ամբողջական հոդվածը կարող եք կարդալ այս հասցեով՝ https://www.aravot.am/2024/07/11/1432155/

© 1998 - 2024 Առավոտ – Լուրեր Հայաստանից

 

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The Hartashen Megalithic Avenue, hidden deep in Armenia’s rugged terrain, is one of the world’s forgotten ancient wonders. Believed to be 6,000 to 8,000 years old, this mysterious site consists of towering stone monoliths, meticulously aligned across the landscape. Was it a ceremonial path? An ancient observatory? Its true purpose remains a mystery. Unlike Stonehenge or other famed sites, Hartashen has escaped the spotlight of mainstream archaeology, its secrets still buried beneath the soil. The towering stones, standing guard over the landscape, hint at a forgotten civilization with a sophisticated grasp of space and ritual. Yet, despite its age and potential significance, Hartashen remains largely unexcavated and unexplored.

https://x.com/Dr_TheHistories/status/1830451786760732949

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