Medieval Rock-Hewn Tomb Discovered in Armenia's Ohanavan

A medieval rock-hewn tomb has come to light in the Ohanavan community, tucked away in the Kasakh Gorge, as reported by Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport. The discovery unfolded when a village resident stumbled upon the monument during routine earthworks on their property.

The Aragatsotn regional service of the Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves SNOC documented the incident, prompting a pause in the ongoing work.

Discussions followed regarding the necessity of transferring the archaeological finds to the state and the urgency for immediate excavations. Certification for the newly unearthed monument is anticipated in the near future.

A team of experts from the Historical and Cultural Monuments Protection Department of the Ministry of Culture, the Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reserves, and the Historical and Cultural Heritage Scientific Research Center conducted a thorough examination of the site containing the recently discovered tomb, along with several other historical and cultural landmarks.

A rock-cut tomb is a burial chamber that is cut into an existing, naturally occurring rock formation, so a type of rock-cut architecture. They are usually cut into a cliff or sloping rock face, but may go downward in fairly flat ground. It was a common form of burial for the wealthy in ancient times in several parts of the world.