
In 2010, the Yerevan History Museum hosted a presentation of a book by the renowned archaeologist and research fellow at the Academic Institute of Arts, Ara Demirkhanyan. The book, titled “North-East of Yerevan in the Artashesian Era,” is the culmination of nearly 30 years of meticulous research. It holds great significance for historical science and the history of the current Armenian capital.
In 1980, a large settlement from the Artashesian era (2nd century BC – 1st century AD) was excavated in the territory of modern Avan. While the village was already known from medieval sources, the discovery of its previously unknown prehistory was a considerable and pleasant sensation.
This settlement served as a crucial connecting link between the Urartian Erebuni and the medieval city. Indeed, after Erebuni and up until the Middle Ages, there was a period of time that seemed “empty” in the historical record. In other words, the long history of Yerevan had unexplained gaps, lacking “material evidence.”
In the early Middle Ages, Avan became a clerical center due to its extremely convenient location. In 591, Catholicos Hovhan Bagarantsi built a cathedral there, which is the oldest known central-domed building in Armenian architecture.
Thus, Avan has enjoyed fame and authority since ancient times. The compositions of religious buildings developed here became the cornerstone of national architecture. Avan and its environs are a real “Klondike” for archaeologists and historians.
Ara Demirkhanyan and the entire archaeological community dreamed of a complete study of this remarkable Yerevan territory. However, their aspirations were not fully realized. In 1984, the government allocated a considerable amount of money for the excavations—40 thousand rubles. However, the first “tranche” did not reach the expedition. The museum, for which the project was ready in 1991, was not built either. Archaeologists managed to explore only a small part of this precious territory.
Ideally, the area should have been fenced off, a protected area created, and excavations continued. However, the city authorities and higher-ups took a different path. They decided to build housing for the people there. The creators of the general plan missed the mark, and soon the hill, stuffed with artifacts and other archaeological treasures, was built up.
The natives of Avan and Arinj, which joined them, did not stand on ceremony either. Only the most hopelessly lazy did not set up gardens and vegetable gardens there. The artifacts found by gardeners and vegetable growers disappeared into the space of Yerevan. The tough people attacked the valuable land like foreign invaders.
The cultural layer was transformed into buildings before our eyes, including elite ones, as well as fruits and vegetables. All attempts by Demirkhanyan to reason with the “competent authorities” were fruitless.
The communists built up the entire antiquity—the hill—with unattractive Armenian-Soviet type housing, which was not particularly earthquake-resistant. They were followed by professional patriotic democrats. Nowadays, archaeologists have only 15 hectares of the original settlement territory left. They should be saved.
If they wanted, Avan and its environs could become another historical document of Yerevan, an extensive and interesting one at that. Here, one could create a significant tourist attraction. Unlike other parts of modern Yerevan (such as Erebuni), one can trace the continuous development of history and culture starting from the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC), including antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Ara Demirkhanyan’s finds, a small part of which are included in his book, are truly magnificent. They include fragments of buildings from different eras, the richest burials containing beads made of natural ornamental stones, glass (some beads have a gold or silver lining), ceramics, tools, and coins.
In one of the jar burials, a rare gem-intaglio made of two-layer carnelian with an image of a cute bushy-tailed dog was found. A lot of painted ceramics were discovered: various karases, bowls, jugs, dishes, pots, lamps—Avan clay has been famous since that time. There were also tools and products of handicraft production.
These include stone burnishers, clay spindles, mortars, iron scissors, jewelry, nails, and knives. Many bronze jewelry items were found, including earrings, rings, buttons, and even a beautiful fibula in the form of a lyre. There was even a bell and miniature idols. All this is evidence of developed crafts and technologies, presenting a vast panorama of five thousand years of history.
It is difficult to say what will happen next, as we are often criminally careless about history and its traces left on Armenian soil. As for Ara Demirkhanyan, he has done and continues to do what he can, as have other archaeologists. It is now up to the state to take action.
Artatsolum
Excerpt from the book: “North-East of Yerevan in the Artashesid Era”.



