Researchers: Syunik’s archaeological heritage can become an international cooperation platform

As part of a research project being carried out at the History Museum of Armenia, the processes of museumification of Syunik’s archaeological heritage, the formation of state and community museums and collections, as well as the role of communities in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage are being studied.

Funded by the Higher Education and Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, the research project “Syunik’s Archaeological Heritage: Museums, Collections and Community Engagement” is being implemented at the History Museum of Armenia.

Armenpress spoke with the project’s head, Deputy Director for Research of the History Museum of Armenia, Candidate of Historical Sciences Nzhdeh Yeranyan, about the details of the project, the challenges of preserving Syunik’s archaeological heritage and the potential for international cooperation.

- Mr. Yeranyan, why did the need arise to conduct a separate study on the museumification of Syunik’s archaeological heritage? What volume of material are we talking about?

Museum collections in Armenia are a rich and multifaceted source for researchers. Their study makes it possible to address not only the history and culture of individual periods, but also to understand how archaeological heritage has been collected, preserved, studied and presented to the public.

The research project “Syunik’s Archaeological Heritage: Museums, Collections and Community Engagement” is being implemented at the History Museum of Armenia within the framework of the Higher Education and Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia’s “Research Support Program for Young Scientists – 2025” competition.

The project’s foreign partner is Dr. Roberto Dan, a member of the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMEO). The research team includes Ruben Hovsepyan, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia and Candidate of Historical Sciences; Alyosha Hayrapetyan, director of the Kapan Museum of Local Lore; and Viktoria Galstyan, a master’s student in the Department of Cultural Studies at Yerevan State University.

The idea for the project emerged during our various studies. Working with materials originating from Syunik, we saw that they are considerable in volume and are preserved not only in state museums, but also in school collections, small community museums and by individual residents.

Some of these materials have never been published or properly documented. Some specimens are chance finds, about the circumstances of whose discovery there is limited information.

Particular attention should be paid to small, so-called vernacular or locally initiated museums. Many of them were founded as early as the middle of the previous century at the initiative of an individual, often a history teacher. Today, these collections continue to be preserved by the founders’ descendants or other members of the community.

They are important local initiatives, but due to limited professional and material resources, the collections are not always properly registered, preserved and presented.

However, the research is not only a study of museums and collections. Community engagement is also central to us. We are trying to understand when, under what circumstances and at whose initiative Syunik’s museums were established, why they were formed in these particular communities and what role they play in community life today.

We are also studying how archaeological heritage is reflected in local identity, memory and contemporary cultural activity, for example, in the work of pottery craftsmen.

- What picture has emerged during the initial stage of your research? What part of Syunik’s archaeological heritage is properly preserved and presented in museums today?

The research is still ongoing, so at this stage it is difficult to accurately assess what part of Syunik’s archaeological heritage is properly preserved and presented.

It is already clear, however, that the problems concern preservation, exhibition and scholarly documentation alike. Museums operating in Syunik have buildings, holdings and established collections, but their preservation conditions, professional capacities and the quality of their exhibitions vary.

At the same time, materials discovered in Syunik are preserved not only in museums in the region. Some collections are also held at the History Museum of Armenia and in other collections in Armenia.

We are also studying materials held in Russian archives and museums, particularly to reconstruct the history of archaeological work and collections during the Tsarist period.

As part of the project, we are conducting as comprehensive documentation as possible of collections related to Syunik and creating a database, regardless of where a particular object is currently held.

At the next stage, we will also discuss possible ways of making this data publicly accessible.

Syunik is one of the oldest and continuously inhabited regions of the Armenian Highlands. Archaeological materials dating from the Stone Age to modern times are found here. Therefore, we are talking about a substantial heritage encompassing different periods and cultural phenomena.

- How was most of the archaeological collections of Syunik’s existing museums formed — through excavations, chance finds, donations or other means?

The first museum collections originating from Syunik were formed as early as the Tsarist period. Expeditions associated with the Imperial Archaeological Society worked in the region, while later Y. Lalayan, S. Ter-Avetisyan, St. Lisitsian and others were also involved in collecting materials.

A significant part of the collections was formed through scientific excavations. At the same time, there are many chance finds that, at different times, were handed over to museums or remained in private collections and small exhibition corners created in schools.

This process continues today as well. For example, several months ago, tombs were accidentally uncovered near Sisian, while excavations are currently being carried out at the Ditsmayri settlement.

However, one of the most serious challenges to preserving Syunik’s archaeological heritage is looting. People illegally search for and remove archaeological objects from the ground using metal detectors.

This phenomenon is widespread throughout Armenia, but Syunik is one of its most active areas. The problem is not limited to the loss of individual objects.

When an archaeological object is removed from its original context without professional documentation, information about its location, layer, associated materials and chronology is also lost. As a result, not only is the archaeological site damaged, but the scholarly value of the object is also diminished.

Addressing this problem requires consistent state policy, effective application of legislation, cooperation among professional institutions and public awareness.

International experience shows that with systematic work, it is possible to significantly limit illegal searches and the circulation of archaeological artifacts.

- Archaeological excavations are being carried out at various sites in Syunik. To what extent are the results of the excavations accessible to the local population, and do residents see the results of this work?

This is an important question because the results of archaeological excavations should not remain only in professional reports and academic publications. They should also be accessible to the communities where the work is being carried out.

Archaeological research in Syunik is continuing quite actively. Its goals include not only acquiring new knowledge, but also preserving sites and, in some cases, restoring them and creating opportunities for their further use.

However, presenting the results of this work to the public should also be considered an important component of the projects.

A good example is the modernized exhibition at the Kapan Museum of Local Lore. With its collection and presentation approaches, it is one of the best museums operating outside Yerevan.

The exhibition also includes materials that entered the museum in recent years through excavations, chance discoveries and other means.

Archaeological objects are sometimes discovered during construction or military engineering works as well. When there is cooperation with the relevant institutions, they are transferred to museums, studied and sometimes included in exhibitions.

The History Museum of Armenia also displays materials obtained from excavations carried out in recent years at various sites in Syunik.

Nevertheless, more consistent work is needed to ensure that community residents learn not only about the progress of excavations, but also about their results.

Local exhibitions, open lectures, programs with schools, visits organized at archaeological sites and publications for the general public could contribute to this.

- What can we expect by the end of the project?

The project has several interconnected outcomes. Scientific publications are planned. Two articles are to be published in highly ranked international scientific journals, one of which has already been published. Presentations at conferences and publications in local scientific journals are also planned. One of the project’s main outcomes is the pictorial book, which will present archaeological materials originating from Syunik and held in various museums and collections in Armenia. We plan to publish it at the beginning of 2027. At the same time, the project’s results are not limited to scientific publications. Work with communities and community museums is important to us as well. A professional seminar has already been organized for employees of Syunik’s museums.

Objects from various museums in the region are being brought to the restoration laboratory of the History Museum of Armenia, where they are studied, restored and returned to their museums. Professional advice is also regularly provided on the cataloguing, preservation and presentation of collections. We expect the project not only to provide new scientific information about Syunik’s archaeological heritage, but also to have a practical impact on the region’s museums and communities. It is important that the results of the research are also accessible to the people in whose environment this heritage was formed and preserved.

- What is distinctive about Syunik’s archaeological heritage from an international scientific perspective?

Syunik has played an important role in the history of the Armenian Highlands during different periods. The region’s foothill and mountainous areas were actively inhabited at least from the Bronze Age, while during the Urartian and post-Urartian periods, it was an important connecting area between Urartu and neighboring regions. Syunik reflects interactions between local traditions and broader regional cultural processes. Archaeological materials make it possible to study the development of settlements, burial practices, production activities, trade ties and cultural exchanges. The region’s natural resources, particularly metal ores, have also played an important role in its history. It is likely that at different times Syunik served not only as a source of raw materials, but also as a supplier of finished products to neighboring areas. This makes it possible to examine Syunik’s materials not only in the context of Armenia, but also within the context of the economic and cultural ties of the South Caucasus and the Near East.

The region’s importance continued in later centuries as well. In the medieval and modern periods, it continued to remain an important communications, economic and cultural area. During the Tsarist period, new roads, industrial centers and urban settlements developed there. All of this makes Syunik an interesting field for studying long-term historical processes.

- In your assessment, can Syunik’s archaeological heritage become a broader platform for international scientific and cultural cooperation?

Syunik’s archaeological heritage has that potential, but the mere presence of rich material is not enough. On the one hand, we have sites and collections of significant scientific interest that can be studied and presented on local and international platforms. On the other hand, there are still infrastructural and professional problems. It is necessary to improve collection storage conditions, exhibitions, restoration capabilities and scholarly documentation. Continuous professional training, long-term programs with international partners and the participation of local communities are also important. With systematic work in these areas, Syunik could host international research teams, joint excavations and scientific programs, as well as organize exhibitions and professional exchanges. Our research can be viewed as one of the steps in that direction: it helps identify existing resources, gaps and development opportunities. The work is still ongoing, but it is already clear that Syunik’s archaeological heritage has significant potential for international cooperation.