YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Archaeologists discovered a structure dating back to the 7th century B.C. during excavations at the Karmir Blur (Red Hill, aka Teishebaini) archaeological site, which was once the capital of Transcaucasian provinces of Urartu, in Yerevan, Armenia.

Co-leader of the Armenian-Austrian expedition team and Director of the Erebuni museum Mikayel Badalyan told ARMENPRESS that the monumental structure’s discovery is significant not only for Armenia but for the entire Middle East.

“This is from the era of Rusa II,” Badalyan said. “We are excavating a monumental structure at least 17 meters by 50 meters with its infrastructures. Of course we’ve just excavated one part, and discovered the platforms of 11 round columns with monumental walls and paved ground.”

Badalyan said that experts have recorded traces of a fire which date back to a later period.

“Most probably life continued here also in the middle ages,” he added.

The Austrian team is working in the area south of the Teishebaini fortress, and they have discovered several post-Urartu period layers, which proves that life continued in Karmir Blur also during the era of the Yervanduni and Achaemenid dynasties.

Excavations will continue next year as well.

“We hope to fully excavate this monumental complex, reinforce it and make it part of the monument,” Badalyan said.