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US AMBASSADOR VISITS SHENGAVIT ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRESERVE
asbarez
Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
>From l to r: Mrs. Heffern, Shengavit director Tshagharyan, Ambassador
Heffern, Armenian archaeologist Armine Hayrapetyan, Erebuni director
Gurdjyan, RCHCH director Simonyan
BY JOSEPH DAGDIGIAN
YEREVAN-A delegation from the U.S. embassy in Armenia, headed by
US ambassador John Heffern, visited the Shengavit Historical and
Archaeological Culture Preserve across Yerevan Lake from the embassy
on July 25.
Heffern and his accompanied by his wife Libby, as well as Cultural
Affairs officer Sean O'Hara. Greeting the US delegation was Vladimir
Tchagharyan, director of the Shengavit preserve; Gagik Gurdjyan,
director of the Erebuni Historical and Archaeological Culture
Preserve which oversees Shengavit as well. Dr. Hakob Simonyan,
director of Armenia's Research Center for Historical and Cultural
Heritage (RCHCH); and Dr. Mitchell Rothman, head of the anthropology
department at Widener University in Pennsylvania. Drs. Rothman and
Simonyan are both conducting excavations at Shengavit.
While examining excavations dating to the fourth millennium B.C.,
Gurdjyan explained why the study of the Shengavit site was important
not only for understanding the development of civilization in Armenia,
but for the study of the entire region as cultural developments here
were contemporary with developments in Mesopotamia, the Middle East,
and elsewhere. The visitors viewed ongoing excavations by Dr. Rothman
and Dr. Simonyan who both discussed the significance of their finds.
Following examinations of the excavations Shengavit director
Tshagharyan led the group to the museum in which a number of Shengavit
artifacts are on display. These include stone, bone, and metal tools
as well as pottery, a hearth, and jewelry. Of special interest to
Ambassador Heffern was a forensic reconstruction of a human head based
on skeletal remains found at the site. The reconstruction illustrates
what 4th millennium B.C inhabitants looked like. Of particular interest
was the fact that the forensic reconstruction was done by noted doctor
Antranig Tchagharyan, the father of Shengavit's director.
Ambassador Heffern expressed amazement that Yerevan's history goes
back not 3,000 years, as is often cited, but 6,000 years. Comparing
this with the brief history of the United States, he stated that
he would encourage all the staff members of the embassy to visit
Shengavit while expressing hope that the embassy and the Shengavit
preserve could work together to further develop the site. Director
Tchagharyan invited the ambassador to visit the site again. The visit
was followed by refreshments.
The Cambridge Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) is currently
working with the Shengavit Historical and Archaeological Culture
Preserve director to provide amenities for visitors, preserve the
aging museum building and its artifacts, and enhance the security of
the site.
Before archaeological excavations are conducted, however, it is
crucial that both government authorities and the participating
archaeologists agree on a detailed plan for the preservation of the
excavations and that adequate financing for preservation efforts
be allocated. Currently there appears to be no firm plan for the
preservation of the excavations and no available financing. Once
exposed to the elements, the archaeological structures can quickly
deteriorate preventing further scientific research and preventing
public examination of these important historical and archaeological
finds.
Details of CYSCA's project may be found at www.cysca.org. More
information on Shengavit is also available on the Erebuni Museum web
site at www.erebuni.am.
asbarez
Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
>From l to r: Mrs. Heffern, Shengavit director Tshagharyan, Ambassador
Heffern, Armenian archaeologist Armine Hayrapetyan, Erebuni director
Gurdjyan, RCHCH director Simonyan
BY JOSEPH DAGDIGIAN
YEREVAN-A delegation from the U.S. embassy in Armenia, headed by
US ambassador John Heffern, visited the Shengavit Historical and
Archaeological Culture Preserve across Yerevan Lake from the embassy
on July 25.
Heffern and his accompanied by his wife Libby, as well as Cultural
Affairs officer Sean O'Hara. Greeting the US delegation was Vladimir
Tchagharyan, director of the Shengavit preserve; Gagik Gurdjyan,
director of the Erebuni Historical and Archaeological Culture
Preserve which oversees Shengavit as well. Dr. Hakob Simonyan,
director of Armenia's Research Center for Historical and Cultural
Heritage (RCHCH); and Dr. Mitchell Rothman, head of the anthropology
department at Widener University in Pennsylvania. Drs. Rothman and
Simonyan are both conducting excavations at Shengavit.
While examining excavations dating to the fourth millennium B.C.,
Gurdjyan explained why the study of the Shengavit site was important
not only for understanding the development of civilization in Armenia,
but for the study of the entire region as cultural developments here
were contemporary with developments in Mesopotamia, the Middle East,
and elsewhere. The visitors viewed ongoing excavations by Dr. Rothman
and Dr. Simonyan who both discussed the significance of their finds.
Following examinations of the excavations Shengavit director
Tshagharyan led the group to the museum in which a number of Shengavit
artifacts are on display. These include stone, bone, and metal tools
as well as pottery, a hearth, and jewelry. Of special interest to
Ambassador Heffern was a forensic reconstruction of a human head based
on skeletal remains found at the site. The reconstruction illustrates
what 4th millennium B.C inhabitants looked like. Of particular interest
was the fact that the forensic reconstruction was done by noted doctor
Antranig Tchagharyan, the father of Shengavit's director.
Ambassador Heffern expressed amazement that Yerevan's history goes
back not 3,000 years, as is often cited, but 6,000 years. Comparing
this with the brief history of the United States, he stated that
he would encourage all the staff members of the embassy to visit
Shengavit while expressing hope that the embassy and the Shengavit
preserve could work together to further develop the site. Director
Tchagharyan invited the ambassador to visit the site again. The visit
was followed by refreshments.
The Cambridge Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) is currently
working with the Shengavit Historical and Archaeological Culture
Preserve director to provide amenities for visitors, preserve the
aging museum building and its artifacts, and enhance the security of
the site.
Before archaeological excavations are conducted, however, it is
crucial that both government authorities and the participating
archaeologists agree on a detailed plan for the preservation of the
excavations and that adequate financing for preservation efforts
be allocated. Currently there appears to be no firm plan for the
preservation of the excavations and no available financing. Once
exposed to the elements, the archaeological structures can quickly
deteriorate preventing further scientific research and preventing
public examination of these important historical and archaeological
finds.
Details of CYSCA's project may be found at www.cysca.org. More
information on Shengavit is also available on the Erebuni Museum web
site at www.erebuni.am.