Arpa River Basin Survey (2011)

The Arpa River Basin Survey covered an area of approx. 40 square kilometers, encompassing the settlements and agricultural zones of the Yelpin and Chiva river valleys, as well as the foothills and lower-elevation plateaus of the Geghama and Vayq mountain ranges. This small, unsystematic pedestrian survey was undertaken by Kristine Martirosyan-Olshansky in 2011 in order to identify Chalcolithic period occupation in the vicinity of the Areni-1 cave complex and to geo-locate the sites listed on the “Monuments List” produced by the Republic of Armenia. A total of 38 sites and site complexes were recorded. Artifact collection was limited to unique finds only, such as an Acheulian handaxe (Lower Paleolithic) and bronze jewelry protruding from a cist-grave that was partially destroyed during recent construction activities.