Areni-1 Bird Cave South — Aghavnadzor Secondary Chamber
Bird Cave South · Arpa River south grotto
Chalcolithic to Medieval (4000 BCE – 1400 CE)·Kura-Araxes to medieval Armenian·🇦🇲 Vayots Dzor Province, Areni gorge, south chamber 40 m beyond main cave mouth, Armenia
About
About Areni-1 Bird Cave South — Aghavnadzor Secondary Chamber
Southern annex 40 m south of the famous Areni-1 (Birds' Cave) which yielded the 5,500-year-old leather shoe and 6,100-year-old winery. South chamber preserves Chalcolithic finger-fluted geometric rock art and medieval charcoal graffiti, plus a secondary desiccated grape press pit 30 cm diameter contrasting with the main cave's large vats. Excavated 2012 Pinhasi team.
Why it mattersProves Areni-1 is a multi-chamber winery-ritual complex, not single cave; south chamber links rock art to viniculture
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01South chamber flutings contemporaneous or later than winery?
- 02Grape press functional vs votive
Theories
- 01Two-cave winery complex size estimate double
- 02Cave as ritual wine production paired with burial
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.4000 BCE flutings; winery 4100 BCE main; graffiti 12th c.
- Period
- Chalcolithic to Medieval (4000 BCE – 1400 CE)
- Culture
- Kura-Araxes to medieval Armenian
- Purpose
- Ritual cave and proto-winery annex
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.4100 BCE
Winery active main cave
c.3600 BCE
Shoe deposition 37 km near?
2008
Leather shoe published
2012
South chamber opened
On the ground
Structures & features
39.7290° N · 45.2050° E · 1060 m · 3 mapped features
Finger-Fluted Panel South
rock art2 m geometric flutings with zigzag and cupule
39.7291° N · 45.2052° ESecondary Press Pit
press30 cm pecked grape press with outlet channel
39.7289° N · 45.2049° EMedieval Charcoal Graffiti
inscription12th c. cross and Armenian script in charcoal
39.7292° N · 45.2054° E