1/3 Buzand Str., Yerevan 0010, RA
Initiated by the diocese of Vayots Dzor and with the permission of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, from May 27 to June 6, 2025, an expedition from the Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage, led by Meri Safaryan, conducted excavations within the semi-underground burial structure of the Holy Mother of God church (Burtelashen) at the Noravank Monastery (built in 1339). The excavations were carried out as part of upcoming cleaning and landscaping work in this area.
It should be noted that previously, a lower half of a tombstone was discovered in the south-central part of the hall. The presence of two contour images on this tombstone allowed specialists to hypothesize that two individuals were buried in this location. This assumption was confirmed during the excavations. First, the skeleton of an elderly woman was found, lying on her back with her hands folded on her abdomen, buried according to Christian rites. Thanks to a small test pit, it was also possible to confirm the presence of a second burial next to the first. It is presumed that this deceased individual was a male.
Appropriate samples were taken from the remains discovered during the excavations for laboratory analysis. After the necessary measurements and works were completed, the burials were backfilled and restored to their original state.
Despite the small scale of the excavations, the results were satisfactory and fully sufficient for the preparation of a further improvement project.
Once the materials are processed and relevant research is conducted, complete data will be made available to researchers and all interested parties.
