Qarashamb Burial Ground

Name: Qarashamb burial ground
Monument type: Grave field
Region: Kotayk Province
Periods: Prehistoric

Name: Qarashamb burial ground

Other nomination: Qarashamb ancient site

Monument type: Grave field

Region: Kotayk

Community: Nor Hachn

Residence: Qarashamb village

Location: It is located between the villages of Nor Gegh and Qarashamb, on the shelf on the western coast of Hrazdan.

Preservation: Most of the cemetery area is built up. Currently, the district of the Qarashamb summer house is on the site of the burial ground: burial structures have been preserved in its central part on approximately 3.5 hectares.

Coordinates: 40˚23′ 49.3” N, long. – 44˚ 35′ 28.8” E

Altitude: 1600 m

Era and chronology: The burial ground is represented by tombs belonging to the Middle – Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages dating back to the XXIII/XXII-IX/VIII centuries BC. Several tombs of the period relating to the wide assimilation of iron (VII-VI centuries BC) were also recorded.

A Burial Ground Shrouded in the Mystique of the Past

As you stand amidst the remnants of the burial ground of Qarashamb, you can’t help but feel a profound connection to a past that has endured through millennia. Here, each artifact, each tomb, and each structure tells a story of a people who left their mark on the land and their legacy for future generations.

And as you wander through this magnificent ancient site, you will realize that Qarashamb is not merely a burial ground; it’s a living testament to the rich history and vibrant culture of Armenia, a place where the whispers of the past still linger in the wind.

Perched at an altitude of 1600 meters, between the villages of Nor Gegh and Qarashamb in Armenia’s Kotayk region, the burial ground Qarashamb carries the weight of centuries on its storied shoulders. In its heart, a precious core of history remains, with burial structures preserved on approximately 3.5 hectares.

The roots of Qarashamb extend deep into the annals of time, back to the Middle-Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, spanning from the XXIII/XXII to the IX/VIII centuries BC. Within its tombs lie the echoes of a society that thrived during a pivotal period of Armenian history. Some tombs even date to the era when iron was widely assimilated, during the VII-VI centuries BC.

The earliest tombs within this ancient site harken to the “Treghk-Vanadzor” archaeological culture, a testament to a time from the XXIII/XXII to XVIII centuries BC. These tombs offer a remarkable glimpse into the existence of early state formations in the northeastern regions of the Armenian Highlands. Notably, the great burial mound of Qarashamb has yielded treasures that include specimens of gold and silver dishes, intricate jewelry, emblems of power, and more.

Among the most astonishing finds are the richly pictorial scenes on a silver cup, offering a window into the royal feasts, battles led by kings, triumphal processions, and other facets of elite life during that period. These artistic relics are like pages torn from a long-lost book, shedding light on the complex tapestry of ancient Armenian society.

In the years spanning from 2009 to 2016, excavations at Qarashamb uncovered even more treasures. Stained glass jewelry, ornate vessels, bird sculptures, and colorful pottery provide a vivid portrait of the social and economic life of the elite class that once called this place home during the XIX-XVIII centuries BC. The rituals surrounding death are equally captivating, with burial structures featuring spacious tomb halls covered with logs and floors adorned with carpets.

The mysteries of Qarashamb deepen as archaeologists reveal sacrificial offerings that include the remains of cremated individuals, alongside sacrificed animals, often enclosed in jeweled bronze and glass buttons. Around these sacred relics, vessels stand as silent witnesses to the traditions and customs of a society that thrived in this ancient landscape.

FACTS:

❈ Qarashamb, an ancient burial ground in Armenia’s Kotayk region, preserves the echoes of society from the Middle-Late Bronze to the Early Iron Ages, dating back to the 23rd/22nd to the 7th/6th centuries BC.

❈ The burial site provides insight into early state formations in the northeastern Armenian Highlands, with treasures such as gold and silver artifacts, jewelry, and emblems of power.

❈ A silver cup adorned with richly pictorial scenes reveals royal feasts, battles, and elite life in ancient Armenia, offering a glimpse into a bygone era.

❈ Excavations between 2009 and 2016 unearthed stained glass jewelry, ornate vessels, and colorful pottery, showcasing the social and economic life of the elite class during the 19th-18th centuries BC.

❈ The mysteries of Qarashamb include burial rituals with cremated individuals, sacrificed animals, and vessels that provide a window into the customs and traditions of this ancient society.

🔍 Research history

The first test excavations were carried out in the tomb area in 1966. In 1981 – 1984 the archeological expeditions of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (director: E. Khanzadyan) and the Department for the Monument Preservation and Use under the USSR Government (director: F. Muradyan) excavated more than 1060 tombs dating to the Middle Bronze-Iron centuries in the ancient site. The joint expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the “Erebuni” Museum (led by V. Hovhannisyan) carried out excavations in the northern part of the Qarashamb burial ground in 1987 on the occasion of the Arzni-Karashamb highway reconstruction: as a result the great burial mound of Qarashamb was excavated. Systematic excavations resumed in 2008. Since 2009 the excavations have been carried out by the expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (project manager: P. Avetisyan, excavation manager: V. Melikyan). 776 tombs were revealed by the 2008-2016 excavations; 554 of them were excavated.

🧱 Archaeological description

The earliest tombs of Qarashamb are represented by the complexes of the “Treghk-Vanadzor” archaeological culture referring to the second phase of the Middle Bronze Age (XXIII/XXII-XVIII centuries BC). In this phase of the Qarashamb tombs, data were documented and materials were found, which have an irreplaceable role in documenting the existence of early state formations in the north-eastern regions of the Armenian Highlands (from the XXIII/XXII centuries BC). This is best substantiated by the materials from the great burial mound of Qarashamb (specimens of gold and silver dishes, jewelry, emblems of power, etc.). Moreover, the richly pictorial scenes on the ornaments of the Qarashamb silver cup provide exceptional information about the royal feast, the battle led by the king, the staging of the triumphal procession, the concepts of the period and other details of elite life. In 2009-2016 tombs were excavated where new materials such as stained glass jewelry, vessels, bird sculptures, examples of colorful pottery, cattle sacrifices, etc., give an opportunity to get an idea of the social and economic life of the elite class of the society living there in the XIX-XVIII centuries BC and about the funeral ritual. The burial structures of the elite are represented by spacious tomb halls covered with logs. The floors of the tombs were covered with carpet. Under the eastern head wall, the skulls and limb bones of a pair of sacrificed cows were placed, sometimes / between them or next to / also the body of an entire cow.

The remains of the cremated mould, the sacrificed animals were enclosed with a sheet covered with jeweled bronze and glass buttons, and various vessels were placed around them along the length of the walls.

🌍 Significance

It is of republican significance.

📚 Sources

Literature

L. Karapetyan, A new monument of the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the Hrazdan River Basin, 1969, PBUH, ¹4, pp. 278-283.
V. Hovhannisyan, Metal objects from the Qarashamb burial ground, 1985, DHAA, ref. theses, Yerevan, pp. 18-19.
E. Khanzadyan and others, Qarashamb burial ground, 1983, DHAA ref. theses, Yerevan, pp. 3-4.
A. Gevorgyan, Excavations of the Qarashamb burial ground, 1985, DHAA, ref. theses, Yerevan, pp. 17-18.
F. Muradyan, 2014, The exploratory square of the Qarashamb burial ground (2008 excavations), Handes Amsoreai, 1-12, Vienna-Yerevan, pp. 521-602.
V. Hovhannisyan, 1987 excavations in the Qarashamb burial ground, 1989, DHAA, ref. theses, Yerevan, pp. 14-16.
A. Gevorgyan, 1993 excavations of the Qarashamb necropolis, Archaeological works in the new structures of Armenia, Yerevan, pp. 50-60.
V. Hovhannisyan, Silver goblet from Qarashamb. PBU, 1988, 4, pp. 145-161.
V. Hovhannisyan, Excavations of the Qarashamb burial ground in 1987, Archaeological works in new structures of Armenia
(1986-1987 excavation results), Yerevan, 1993, pp. 26-36.
V. Melikyan, 2015, Newly Found Middle Bronze Age Tombs of the Qarashamb burial ground: Preliminary Report. Aramazd,
AJNES IX / 1, edt. A. Kosyan, A. Petrosyan, Zangak, Yerevan, p. 7-28.

List of monument
State register – 6.66.2.1