Areni Cave

Sightseeing

The Areni-1 shoe is a 5,500-year-old leather shoe that was found in 2008 in excellent condition in the Areni-1 cave located in the Vayots Dzor province of Armenia

The world's oldest discovered shoe excavated from

Areni Cave, a complex of caves in the south-easter

Areni 1 Cave - Located 12 km from Yeghegnadzor

In January 2011, the world's first winery was disc

Areni Cave - a complex of caves located near the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor region in the south of Armenia. In the cave, located at an altitude of about 1080 m above sea level, the researchers discovered several cultural layers, including a complex of the Copper-Stone Age (Eneolithic) era with adobe buildings dating from 4200-3500 BC. The earliest cultural layer dates back to the VI-V millennium BC. n e, and the latest to the XII-XIV centuries. In 2010, the oldest shoes in the world were discovered here. Areni 1 cave, also known as Bird Cave, is located in the southeast of Armenia in the Vayots Dzor region, 12 km from the city of Yeghegnadzor. A cave consisting of three halls arose in the limestone rock formations of the Arpa River Valley. The entrance to the cave is a narrow crevice in the rocky calcareous formations on the left bank of the Arpa River. Opposite the cave is a stone rock that closes the horizon. The absolute height of the cave is about 1080 meters above sea level, the ascent to the cave from the highway along a steep slope is 30–35 m. According to various sources, the cave’s area is from 400 to more than 600 m², several compartments or galleries extend away from it. Inside the monument hang overlaid with black plaque. There are many corridors and passages in the cave, which were partially laid down in antiquity.

In ancient times, the cave was a significant settlement of Gavar Vayots Dzor Syunik Ashkhar of Great Armenia. The fifth-century historian Yeghishe Areni was mentioned under the name Arpanial, Arpunial, (Arbanial). The settlement was a road military point and a junction blocking the gorge that connected the Sharur plain with Vayots Dzor. It had trade relations with various territories throughout the Middle East, evidence of this is the ceramics of four types found in the cave, and only one of them is considered to be locally made dishes. In ancient times, on the hills adjacent to the cave (Amagu Gorge), there were a fortress and a castle, the ruins of which have survived to this day.

The cave was discovered by a researcher at the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, archeologist Boris Gasparyan, it had many bird nests, due to which the alternative name was assigned to the cave - Bird. Nearby is a restaurant, which at the expense of the cave, they decided to expand by setting up a new hall in it. However, shortly after the expansion began, the owner of the restaurant died. Locals say that the spirits of the cave didn’t like the explosions designed to expand and took the soul of the careless builder with them deep into the mountains. Since 2007, the cave has been explored by more than 12 archaeological institutes from 9 countries.

Photo By: Artur Martirosyan

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