Archaeology is a science that helps piece together the puzzle of human history, revealing long-gone cultures, technologies and ways of life. Among the most exciting methods archaeologists use to unravel these mysteries are excavations, where they carefully dig through layers of soil to find artifacts, structures and other traces of past human activity. Excavations are a meticulous and systematic process that involves several steps, each aimed at ensuring that every discovery is accurately documented and preserved.
One such site that has been the focus of intensive archaeological exploration is the Yeghegis-1 rock overhang in Armenia. This site, which was inhabited during the Copper Age (ca. 5000-3500 BC), is an important place for understanding the transition from Neolithic agrarian societies to more complex, socially stratified urban communities of the Bronze Age. Archaeologists working at the site hope to gain new insights into the development of early metalworking, animal husbandry, interregional connections and settlement patterns in the southern Caucasus.
The Yeghegis-1 rock shelter has proven to be an exceptionally rich archaeological site. The research team from the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and Yale University has uncovered thousands of animal bones, stone tools and pottery shards. Copper artifacts and slag, the waste product of metal smelting, have also been recovered, offering insight into the early stages of metal production that would eventually lead to the advanced metallurgy of the Bronze Age. In addition, bone objects such as bone points and beads were found, which shed light on the craftsmanship of the period.
The excavation of Yeghegis-1 is a perfect example of the archaeological process in action.
