A Settlement of Archaic Humans in Yerevan

The oldest settlement in Yerevan was discovered by chance only 50 years ago. Then, passersby accidentally discovered remains of bones and skeletons in one of the favorite places of rest of the capital’s residents, Yerevan Lake.

The relevant authorities responded to the discovery of the citizens and found out that the bones are the remains of a rhinoceros, a bear, and a wild bull, all aged over 70,000 years. It was discovered that the remains had been taken out of a cave located on the shore of Yerevan Lake. This cave was a dwelling of archaic humans.

In Soviet times, a homeless old man settled in the cave. Once, he decided to tidy up his “home”, taking out all the “unnecessary” things and remains. It is thanks to this coincidence that archaeologists learned about the existence of the cave of great historical interest.

“More than a thousand stone tools, javelins, spear tips, ironers, and anthropological artifacts were found in the cave. Their number nearly reaches 2,500,” said Anzhela Teryan, head of the ancient and medieval history department of the Yerevan History Museum.

The materials led the scientists to the idea that the Yerevan cave was used by archaic hunters-masons not as a dwelling but as a temporary “workshop.”

A temporary settlement was also found in the center of the cave. Scientists have suggested that this find is over 48,000 years old. In Soviet times, archaeologists studied only a few layers in the cave. Older layers remained under the cover of earth and are still unexplored. According to experts, these more ancient layers have more than 100,000 years of history.

Meanwhile, on the shore of Yerevan Lake, there are other 4-5 such caves. Today, they are hidden under a layer of mud and debris, and no one is researching them. It turns out that historical treasures that have covered a “distance” of 100,000 years can disappear without a trace in independent Armenia.

Nelly Danielyan