«Motkan Fortress» Castle

Research history

The monument was first explored and valued by the YSU Armenological Research Center expedition in 1975. Later, the monument was again explored and characterized during the researches of the joint route expedition of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, AI and YSU.

Archaeological description

It is located about 0.5 km north of the village of Ujan, on a mountain promontory. It is one of the largest towns in the pre-Urartian region of Armenia. The citadel and the city center are occupied by three hilly plains stretching from north to south, with an area of more than 50 hectares. The hill between the two ravines is inaccessible from the southern, eastern and western sides. Here is the walled citadel, about five hundred meters long. It is divided into 8 sections by transverse walls. The trapezoidal slopes of the hill are also fenced. The walls are mostly built with large basalt stones, in some parts the walls are preserved with a height of 3-5 m. Traces of monumental structures can be seen externally in the citadel. The slopes of the valleys and hills are densely built, which proves that Motkan was a densely populated large settlement/city. The partially preserved roads and passages leading to the citadel are noteworthy. The latters form a quite fortified defense system with the fenced shelves. Among them, the rock-hewn road with a length of more than 150 m, a width of 4 m and a height of 3 m stands out. Riverine materials are characteristic of the Late Bronze-Iron Ages. Fragments of late medieval vessels are also found. The cemetery extends from the northern and north-eastern edge of the castle. Examples of circular towers were recorded near the monument. 

Significance

It is of republican significance.

Sources

Literature

1. Areshyan G., Simonyan H., Archaeological works done in 1975 by the problem laboratory of Armenian studies of YSU., 1976, Banber Yerevan University, 1, 284-288.
2. Areshyan G., Ghafadaryan K., Simonyan H., Tiratsyan G., Kalantaryan A. 1977, Archaeological Researches in the Ashtarak and Nairi Regions of the Armenian SSR,
   LHG 4, Yerevan, pp. 81-85.
3. Areshyan G., Ghafadaryan K. 1996, The architecture of the Armenian Highlands during the period of the primitive communal society and the first state
   formations, History of Armenian Architecture, vol. 1, Yerevan, RA NAS “Science” publishing house, page 86.

List of monuments

Aragatsotn: state indicator : 2.109/4