Clay figurines from Agarak

Authors

  • Nora Yengibaryan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32028/ajnes.v16i1-2.1846

Keywords:

Armenia, Agarak settlement, Early Bronze Age, female and zoomorphic figurines

Abstract

The archaeological site of Agarak is located southwest of a homonymous village in the Aragatsotn province of the Republic of Armenia. The excavated segment of the Agarak site is the northern rock platform which is divided into two parts by the Yerevan-Gyumri highway. The site was excavated during 2001-2014. Systematic excavations of Agarak revealed that the occupational phases of the stie date from the 29th century BC to the Late Middle Ages. This article discusses the Early Bronze Age figurines discovered in the L10 quadrant of the site. The figurines were found from the surroundings of the retaining wall bordering the rock platform, within disturbed cultural layers outside the retaining wall, resulting from later human activity. The pottery fragments inside the cracks of the rock platform and the lower layer of a dwelling built from cobblestone attest to Early Bronze Age human habitation on the rock platform.

References

Avetisyan, P. 2003. Predvaritel’nye rezul’taty raskopok pamjatnika Agarak (Preliminary results of excavations of the Agarak site), in: Kalantaryan et al. 2003: 52-57 (in Russian).

Avetisyan, P., Petrosyan, A. (eds) 2010. Xaldyan zorut‘yamb... hodvacneri žołovacu nvirvac B. Piotrovsku cnndyan 100-amyakin (‘By the Power of Khaldi...’. Colelction of Papers Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of B. Piotrovskij). Yerevan: HH GAA ‘Gitut‘yun’ hratarakč‘ut‘yun (in Armenian).

Bibikov, S. 1951. Kul’tovye ženskie izobraženija rannezemledel’českix plemen Jugo-vostočnoj Evropy (Cultic female images of the early agricultural tribes of southeastern Europe). SA 15: 122-139 (in Russian).

Diakonoff, I. (ed) 1981. Drevnij Vostok i mirovaja kul’tura (Ancient East and World Culture). Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Mir (in Russian).

Esin, U. 1970. Tepecik Excavations, 1968 Campaign. Preliminary Report, in: Keban Project 1968 Activities: 159-172. Ankara: Turkish Historcal Society Press.

Kalantaryan, A., Abrahamyan, L., Badalyan, R., Bardanyan, L., Kharatyan, H. (eds) 2003. Archaeology, Ethnology and Folklore of the Caucasus. Etchmiadzin: Publishing House of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Kalantaryan, A., Harutyunyan, S. (eds) 2002. Hayastani hnaguyn mšakuyt‘ә 2 (The Most Ancient Culture of Armenia 2). Yerevan: HH GAA ‘Gitut‘yun’ hratarakč‘ut‘yun.

Khanzadyan, E., Mkrtchyan, K., Parsamyan, E. 1973. Mecamor (Usumnasirut‘yun 1965-1966 t‘t‘. tvyalnerov) /(Metsamor (Study on the Basis of the 1965-1966 Excavations)/). Yerevan: Haykakan SSH GA hratarakč‘ut‘yun (in Armenian).

Khlopin, I. 1981. Obraz byka u pervobytnyx zemledel’cev Srednej Azii (The image of a bull among the primitive farmers of Central Asia), in: Diakonoff 1981: 26-30 (in Russian).

Kryvelev, A., Stratanovith, G. (eds) 1970. Religija i mifologija narodov Vostočnoj i Južnoj Azii (Religion and Mythology of the Peoples of East and South Asia). Moscow: Izdatel’stvo ‘Nauka’ (in Russian).

Kushnareva, K. 1959. Poselenie époxi bronzy na xolme Uzerlik-tepe okolo Agdama (Settlement of the Bronze Age on the hill Uzerlik-tepe near Aghdam). MIA 67: 388-429 (in Russian).

Stratanovith, G. 1970. Ritual’noe ubienie byka (Po materialam obrjadnosti narodov Vostočnoj i Juga-vostočnoj Azii ) /(Ritual slaying of a bull (According to the materials of the rituals of the peoples of East and South-East Asia)/), in: Kryvelev, Stratanovith 1970: 189-205 (in Russian).

Tumanyan, G. 2002. Agaraki hnavayri t‘rcakave arjaniknerә (Terracotta figurines of the site of Agarak), in: Kalantaryan, Harutyunyan 2002: 36-43 (in Armenian).

van Loon, M., Güterbock, H.G. 1972. Kurucutepe Excavations 1970, in: Keban Project 1970 Activities: 83-85. Ankara: Turkish Historcal Society Press.

Yengibaryan, N. 2010. Karmir berdi dambaranadašti 1991 t‘. pełumnerə (The 1991 Excavations of the Necropolis of Karmir Berd), in: Avetisyan, Petrosyan 2010: 132-151 (in Armenian).

Yesayan, S. 1980. Skul’ptura drevnej Armenii (The Sculpture of Ancient Armenia). Yerevan: Izdatel’stvo Akademii nauk Armjanskoj SSR (in Russian).

Yesayan, S. 1987. Hin Hayastani mardakerp arjaniknerǝ ( m.t‘. a. VII-III hazaramyakner) /(Anthropomorphic figurines of ancient Armenia (VII-III millennium BC)/). PBH 1: 124-135 (in Armenian).

Published

31/12/2022

How to Cite

Yengibaryan, N. (2022). Clay figurines from Agarak. ARAMAZD: Armenian Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 16(1-2), 502–508. https://doi.org/10.32028/ajnes.v16i1-2.1846