8000-Year Old Settlement Excavated at Aknashen

Armenian archaeologists unearthed an ancient, 8000-year old settlement near the Aknashen city in the Ararat Valley. It dates back at the beginning of the human civilization.

“Prior to this period, everything known mostly relates to cave shelters and temporary dwellings. But here, we deal with a sedentary settlement, which is remarkable for its first attempts of construction and ceramic production,” said Ruben Badalyan, the head of the expedition.

In Aknashen, the archaeologists found a plethora of artifacts. Among poor-condition human remains, they unearthed jewelry, ceramics, clothes, and tools, which provided the researchers with invaluable data on the lifestyle of the people, who have probably been the first to discover civilization.

“It could be concluded that the humans living in that territory had some sense of aesthetic beauty. They adorned themselves, their clothes, and tools. And there is evidence that they used make-up,” said Badalyan.

During the past years, several expeditions have already presented the archaeologists with monuments dating at the 7th and 6th millennium BC.