The Areni-1 cave complex () is a multicomponent site,
and late
Chalcolithic
The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...
/Early
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
ritual site and settlement, located near the
Areni
Areni () is a village and the center of the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. Areni is best known for its wine production, with the majority of wine produced locally from the nearby village of Getap, Vayots Dzor, Getap.
...
village in southern
Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
along the
Arpa River.
Findings
In 2008, Armenian PhD student and archeologist Diana Zardaryan of the country's Institute of Archaeology discovered the
earliest known shoe at the site.
In January 2011, the
earliest known winery in the world was uncovered in the cave.
[Owen, James.]
Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave
" ''National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
''. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011. Later, in September 2011, the discovery of a straw
skirt dating to 3,900 years BCE was reported.
In 2009, the oldest humanoid brain was discovered in the cave.
Recent archaeological investigations demonstrate that
Genetics
Three individuals who lived in the
Chalcolithic
The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...
era (c. 5700–6250 years
BP), found in the Areni-1 ("Bird's Eye") cave, were identified as belonging to haplogroup
L1a. One individual's genome indicated that he had red hair and blue eyes.
Gallery
File:Chalcolithic leather shoe from Areni-1 cave.jpg, Chalcolithic leather shoe from Areni-1 cave
File:Areni-1_cave_entrance.jpg, Entrance to the cave
File:Pathway to the Areni-1 cave.JPG, Pathway to the entrance
File:View from the Areni-1 cave.JPG, View from the cave
File:Areni-1 Cave Interior.JPG, The site in 2012, swallow nests on the ceiling of the entrance.
Areni-1-Vogelhoehle-16-Nester-2019-gje.jpg, Swallow nests 2019
See also
*
Areni-1 shoe
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. It is a one-piece leather-hide shoe, the oldest piece of leather footwear in th ...
*
Areni-1 winery
The Areni-1 winery is the world’s oldest known winery, discovered in 2007 in the Areni-1 cave complex near the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor Province, Armenia. Excavated by a team of Armenian and international archaeologists, the winery dates ...
Notes
{{Authority control
Archaeological sites in Armenia
Geography of Vayots Dzor Province
Caves of Armenia
Areni
Kura-Araxes culture
Populated places established in the 5th millennium BC
Leyla-Tepe culture