SITES

Here we represent information about archeological sites that currently interest us.

Bjni
Bjni is widely known for its mineral water. However, on the left bank of Hrazdan river, not too far from its springs, there is a cyclopean castle, the territory of which is covered with many barrows. One of them, which is a burial of a young woman, was excavated in 2006 and was full of ceramics and metal. Not far from this there is another barrow which is sort of unique. It was excavated in 2007. Approximately 25m in diameter, it consists of 3 parts; the edge of it is fixed by huge stones. Inside of it there is a round stripe that surrounds high headwall. Inside, there are several sectors that look like sinusoids. At the centre of all this there is a four-winged building which resembles a cross with rounded wings. In the centre of it there was burnt the leader’s body. Pieces of ceramics found there have been dated 25th century BC. Approximately 7 centuries after the top of the barrow was opened, another dead man was put into and again burnt. This temple-grave looks like a three-level round ziggurat. Its details can be well seen from the air, although only eastern part of it is excavated at the moment.

Tsitsernakaberd
In the centre of Yerevan, on the right bank of Hrazdan river, there is a three-peak system, called Tsitsernakaberd.  The river passes near it and flows to south, where after few kilometers it reaches Erebuni and Karmir blur, famous urartian strongholds.
Archaeological surveys took place in Tsitsernakaberd in 2007. The idea was due to a small hill which still keeps traces of an old castle. Excavations led to opening a wall that continues hundreds of metres and can be seen in several places on the ground. In Roman times there were constructed appartments near it, later they were covered with medieval buildings. On the edge of the high rock, in the centre of a square there is still an altar cut from a rock. In the different parts of the hill there can be seen big stones (weighing up to 2 tonnes) that covered the graves of 2nd millennium BC. Nearby there is a monumental building along with a cave.
Banks of the river here were inhabited since Paleolithic times, almost continuously, until 17th century.

Hoghmik
This archaeological site is situated in the West-North of Armenia, near the river Akhuryan. Almost 2000 years ago there was a 6- km-long complex of temples along with its buildings, fields, villages, where the slaves of the temples lived. It is suggested that 3 main temples dedicated to 3 gods were functioning as the centre of the complex. After adopting Christianity in 4th century, the entrances were closed. Now the members of archaeological expedition reopen those apartments. Much material, ceramics, many altars, statuettes are being found….
The place was once much nicer, as the hills nearby were covered with forests, fauna was richer. By the help of aerial surveys the silhouettes of the monument will become more clear and maybe new details will be found out.

Hartashen
This megalithic monument is another sensation that lays in the North-West of Armenia, high in the mountains. It consists of 3 lines of stone columns stretching for hundreds of kilometers. Armenian archeologists have dated it 7000-5000 BC. Where else if not here the aerial look could help much to understand and see its complete image!

Gyulibulagh
In the north of Armenia (Shirak region), on the right bank of Axuryan river, not too far from the old settlement, there is a big religious centre. Its entire surface is covered with round pits, groups of square basins.  There is no dating material found yet, although analogues of such kind of monument like Agarak are dated 4000 BC. Aerial survey and aerial photo series would let us see the general view of the monument, connections between its different elements  and maybe we will make new discoveries!

Text by Hayk Hakobyan