Armenian-Italian Joint Archaeological Excavations in Aruch

Since June 2025, archaeological excavations have been ongoing as part of an Armenian-Italian collaboration, initiated by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography (IAE) of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia and the Italian Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMEO). The joint expedition teams are conducting excavations at the medieval palace-fortress in the village of Aruch and at the fortress and burial field in the village of Shamiram.

Excavations at the Aruch fortress are being carried out under the co-leadership of Astghik Babajanyan, Scientific Secretary of the IAE, and Sergio Ferdinand, ISMEO representative. These excavations originally began in 2022. The palace-fortress dates to the 12th–13th centuries, though it remained in use in later periods. In the 20th century, residential houses and other structures were built on the site, which now complicates the work of archaeologists.

Astghik Babajanyan, co-leader of the expedition, noted that the research and excavations are being conducted within the framework of the “Medieval Fortification on the Silk Road” program and will continue until June 23. Armenian and Italian specialists have also discussed plans to reinforce the excavated sections of the fortress, assess the technical condition of the Aruch temple, and explore the possibility of restoring its dome.