Excavations at a Newly Discovered Archaeological Site Near Vedi

Recently, archaeological investigations and excavations were carried out at a newly discovered archaeological site located near the town of Vedi in Armenia’s Ararat Province under the direction of Armine Gabrielyan, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Ph.D.

The site is situated between the villages of Dashtakar and Urtsadzor, approximately 3 km east of Vedi. On the final day of the excavations, we had the opportunity to visit the site and become acquainted with the work carried out there.

According to Armine Gabrielyan, the first reconnaissance survey of the area was conducted in May 2022, accompanied by a resident of Vedi who informed the researchers about the presence of jar burials at the location. “Looters’ pits were already clearly visible on the two hills of the site, and they remain there to this day,” the archaeologist notes. The reconnaissance survey established that traces of architectural structures were present on both hills, while large quantities of painted pottery sherds dating to the Classical period were observed on the surface. As part of the short-term excavations conducted in May–June 2026, a 14 × 10 m trial trench was opened. The excavations revealed double-faced walls measuring 1.30–1.50 m in width, with a core filled with smaller stones. With only slight deviations from the cardinal directions, these walls are generally oriented along the north–south and east–west axes. Within the exposed structure, a stone-cist burial of a child dating to the same period was discovered and excavated. Among the noteworthy finds are several finely dressed stones bearing traces of dovetail joints.

These, however, were found in secondary use and had been incorporated into the funerary structure. Armine Gabrielyan adds: “The 2026 excavations also have a rescue component to a certain extent. Our objective is to document and reveal the archaeological and cultural context of the site as comprehensively as possible, as it is being damaged on a daily basis by illegal excavations carried out by looters in the area.” The expedition's architect is Hayk Kyureghyan, and residents of the town of Vedi are also participating in the fieldwork.

The research team plans to continue the excavations in the near future by expanding the boundaries of the excavation area and further advancing the investigation of this newly discovered archaeological site.