Arpa Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Forgive me for crossposting this. Just in case te site is removed, I also post the text. ==== http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-01-...ered-in-armenia A well-preserved ancient site discovered in Armenia Archaeologists discover 6,000–7,000-year-old brain by Armen Hakobyan Published: Friday January 30, 2009 Yerevan - "Such a site, preserved in this way, is granted to man by God once in a lifetime. That is, imagine what sort of information this site could provide us with, considering the climate, surrounding regions, economy, and crafts of that given time era," said Boris Gasparyan, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Armenia's National Academy of Sciences. He is also the Armenian co-head of the of the Armenian-American-Irish research group investigating the caves located around the Arpa River. The archaeological research expedition discovered a site from the Bronze Age during excavations in a cave near the famous Noravank monastic complex in the Vayots Dzor region. The archaeologists also discovered three skulls that were buried in a distinctive fashion. One of these skulls contains a small brain piece. According to the researchers, it is in fantastic shape. "According to our radiocarbon dating studies, the layer where these skulls were found should date to 5000-4000 B.C.E., around 6,000-7,000 years ago," Mr. Gasparyan said. "During one of our visits there, we realized that they intend to turn the site into a restaurant. A portion of the site was already damaged. When we procured the funds and had all means, we started our research in order to save the site. In 2007, along with our Irish and English partners, we decided to do some preliminary excavation and we did two archaeological digs. It was then that we realized the cave had had a long stage of inhabitation and there were many, many geological layers. We were not able to reach the lower layers because we discovered the Eneolothic Age or Bronze Age layer dating back to 5000-4000 B.C.E. Therefore, research turned into excavation, and it was clear that we should work very inclusively," the scientist noted. "A site of this caliber should not be investigated by one institute, since it is an invaluable discovery that belongs to humankind and the world. That is why we worked to include other institutes with their professional possibilities and laboratory facilities. As a result, Professor Grigor Areshyan, from the Costen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA joined us. He's the co-head of our research group. Basically, the investigation process of this site is now being carried out by three partners: Armenia's Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences, Ireland's University College Cork (UCC), and the Costen Institute of Archaeology." Mr. Gasparyan mentioned that the Institute of Archaeology with its facilities, the American Gfoeller Fund, Cork University with its facilities, and National Geographic are all participating in this program. According to the scientist, many individuals are providing financial assistance and many laboratories are providing their services free of charge. Mr. Gasparyan, referring to the findings of the excavation inside the cave noted, "From the very beginning of the excavations we realized that organic material such as wood, clothes, etc., were preserved amazingly well. I think that this happened for two reasons: first the geological structure of the cave, and secondly the microclimate of the cave, since the temperature inside the cave almost never changes. We have discovered round structures out of clay, and wine-presses. The interior of the cave was used for storage." The team has not yet emptied the contents of the pitchers discovered in the cave, since that requires specific expertise; however they have also discovered material there including grape vines, grape seeds, reeds, well-preserved walnuts, cornel (cherry), apricot, and peach seeds. Now about the skulls. As Mr. Gasparyan explained, behind the excavated clay containers, they discovered skulls with their lower jaws missing, placed in clay jugs, including a limb of an older person not belonging to any of the skulls. Along with human bones, remains of coal ashes were found in these containers. "The burial of these skulls is definitely a secondary ceremony. That is, the skull of the deceased person was cleaned completely. Then people carried it for a long time and finally, brought it and buried it here. It is also interesting that isotopic analysis of the teeth revealed that the individuals were fed on a particular diet. They had eaten only fish. The skulls belong to 11- to 15- or 16-year-old girls," he said. He assumes that the girls whose skulls have been discovered were victims of a ceremonial sacrifice. A strike by a club or another blunt tool to their skulls was the cause of death. According to him, such sacrifices were not so uncommon in the Bronze Age. Who were the ancient inhabitants of the cave? Did the cave serve as storage or did it have ceremonial importance, as Mr. Gasparyan's colleague, Professor Grigor Areshyan believes? What did these ancient humans do in that cave that was stored with such a huge amount of food and material? These are the questions that the researchers must answer. The one thing that is clear is that the discovery of this ancient civilization is extremely invaluable and requires thorough investigation and research by scientists. According to Mr. Gasparyan, there is enough material to conduct research for many, many years to come. Copyright © 2009 Armenian Reporter | reporter.am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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