The Armenian-German excavations in Oshakan

Michael Herles; Hayk Avetisyan

doi:10.32028/ajnes.vi.929

Authors

Michael Herles
Hayk Avetisyan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32028/ajnes.vi.929

Keywords:

Oshakan, Armenian-German excavations, Mesrop Mashtots, Aragatsotn

Abstract

Oshakan is situated approx. 20km north-west of the Armenian capital of Yerevan and 8km south of the town of Ashrarak in the province of Aragatsotn (Figures 1 and 2) and is one of the best-known provincial towns of Armenia, since the developer of the Armenian alphabet, Mesrop Mashtots (approx. 360 – 440 AD), is buried there.
The modern borough of Oshakan (between 1030m and 1050 ASL) is grouped around a natural tuff stone hill called Didi Kond. This hill measures about 60ha and rises to 1121m ASL. The western and northern part of the hill is in part covered by the extended village of Oshakan, so that hardly any explorations can be conducted there.

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