Armenia’s oldest church discovered in Artashat

During archeological excavations in Artashat, an Armenian-German expedition discovered a church dating back to the early 4th century, Arsen Bobokhyan, Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, told Armenpress Agency’s “Science Week” podcast. According to him, a large-scale geophysical survey was conducted prior to the excavations, including terrain scanning and analysis of underground layers.

“The expedition conducted a very extensive geophysical reconnaissance, which involves scanning the terrain, studying the subsurface, and only then proceeding with excavations,” Bobokhyan said.

He added that the structure, which turned out to be the earliest archaeologically documented church in Armenia, was studied over a period of three years.