Aragatsiberd

The fortress of Aragatsiberd lies along the eastern margin of the Tsaghkahovit Plain, at the intersection of the modern Yerevan-Spitak road (M3) that traverses the Pambak pass, and the Sipan (Pamb-Kurdskii) canyon road that traverses the Spitak pass. Surface architecture and ceramics were first observed at Aragatsiberd in the late 1990s during the Project ArAGATS survey of the Pambak foothills. Like many other fortresses established during the Bronze Age in southern Caucasia, the site features at least 5 successive descending terraces on its northern slope and at least 1 broad terrace on its southern slope. These terraces provide additional occupation space on the otherwise limited surface area of the outcrop.

The volume of surface materials from Aragatsiberd was quite high relative to the Tsaghkahovit Plain’s similarly sized sites such as Berdidosh or Tsilkar, undoubtedly a result of modern construction activity on the summit. Despite this damage to the site, several segments of stone masonry walls were visible from the surface, along with a significant concentration of ceramic debris. 60 sherds were classifiable into three periods of occupation: the Early Bronze Age (18 sherds, 21% of the total), the Late Bronze/Iron 1 period (34 sherds, 40%), and the Iron 3 period (8 sherds, 10%).

The first test excavations at Aragatsiberd, one 4m x 4m test trench, were conducted on the northern terrace of the site during the 2006 excavation season. The purpose of this test trench was to identify well-preserved Late Bronze Age fortress levels outside of the Tsagkahovit / Gegharot binary dynamic, a significant third perspective on regional patterns in the ceramic economy and the Late Bronze Age occupation of the plain more generally. These test excavations revealed a rich and well-preserved stratum of Late Bronze Age ceramic, bone, and lithic artifacts, as well as potential LBA room architecture (to be confirmed in the future by C14 dating from the associated floor). Ongoing excavations will target broader exposures of Late Bronze Age rooms, collecting ceramic remains from multiple contexts on the fortresses numerous terraced spaces.

The archaeological site of Aragatsiberd is listed as Armenian Commission for the Preservation of Historical Monuments site number 701.2.