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13 August 2025 - 13:24 AMT

Fourth-century church unearthed in Artashat

Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences, Arsen Bobokhyan, announced major discoveries made during excavations in Artashat. The digs are being conducted by a joint Armenian-German archaeological team.

“The expedition carried out a major geophysical study, meaning they scanned the area to understand what lies beneath the surface before proceeding with the dig. A large surface area was examined. For the past three years, excavations have been ongoing at a structure that has now been identified as a church, scientifically dated to the early 4th century. This is the earliest archaeologically documented church in Armenia. It is highly likely that the historical processes we know from primary sources are gaining physical evidence through archaeology,” Bobokhyan said, according to Armenpress.

He also noted that Artashat, as a former capital, was deeply connected to major historical and cultural developments — connections now being revealed through these excavations.