A Heritage Crafted in Stone. Reconceptualizing Local Identities Through the Katchkars of Jrarat, Kotayk Region, Armenia
GASPARRO, Onofrio / DAN, Roberto / PETROSYAN, Artur
Investigations at the site of Jrarat have been undertaken as part of the Armenian-Italian archaeological mission operating in Kotayk since 2013 (Kotayk Survey Project). The site, located in the Marmarik River valley, is distinguished by a cemetery area that shows a very long, non-continuous human presence, dating from the end of the Bronze Age to the late Middle Ages. This speech will introduce to the site’s essential characteristics and the results collected throughout the years, including the excavation of a large Late Bronze Age tumulus. The primary goal, however, will be to examine the morphology, chronology, and geographical distribution of a group of khatchkars (stone crosses). These khatchkars, which were erected around a ruined building, most likely a church from the 5th-7th centuries CE, are witnesses to centuries of Armenian history from the 9th to 18th centuries CE. The study of this heritage, which is largely unpublished, allowed us to reconstruct the phases of occupation of the Marmarik River valley. The work is part of the publication process of the results of the activities carried out in more than ten years in Kotayk region.
Session 4. Crafting Identity and Clusters through Material Culture, Iconography and Texts [info]