Archaeologists Discover One of Yerevan Region’s Oldest Known Settlements Beneath Academic City Site

Archaeologists have uncovered what may be one of the oldest known settlements in the Yerevan region beneath the future site of Armenia’s Academic City, a discovery that could deepen historians’ understanding of early human life in the area while adding unexpected significance to one of the country’s largest education projects.

The excavation, led by Armenian archaeologist Hakob Simonyan in Yerevan’s Silikyan district, revealed a large stone-built complex made up of about 34 rooms. The team also recovered stone-working tools, suggesting the settlement was home to a community with developed construction and craftsmanship skills. Researchers believe the site dates back several thousand years, although its exact age has yet to be confirmed through additional scientific analysis.

The findings were unveiled during the official presentation of Armenia’s 2025 archaeological season on March 24, 2026, where experts highlighted some of the country’s most important recent discoveries.

The discovery places the planned Academic City at the intersection of Armenia’s ancient past and its future ambitions. The project, envisioned as a national center for higher education, research and innovation, is now being developed on land that preserves evidence of some of the region’s earliest human habitation.

Representatives of the Academic City Foundation recently visited the excavation site and met with the archaeological team. Simonyan said cooperation with international archaeological laboratories will be essential to establish a more precise timeline for the settlement and to better understand its historical significance.

The foundation said the archaeological remains will be preserved as part of the Academic City project, with plans to integrate the site into long-term conservation and research efforts rather than allow development to erase it.

Excavations continue as archaeologists work to determine the settlement’s age, extent and role in the early history of the Yerevan region. Further research is expected to provide a clearer picture of the people who once lived there and the place the site holds in Armenia’s ancient past.

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