The archaeological survey of the Nor Karmiravan mausoleum

The discovery of stelae

In 2016, a resident accidentally discovered about a dozen anthropomorphic stelae and some fragments in the village of Nor Karmiravan, located in the Martakert region. The concentration of these stelae in one area, along with specific features of the surrounding landscape (Fig. 1), suggested that the stelae were likely still in their original locations. To verify this hypothesis, excavation work was planned following an initial exploration of the site. These excavations were to be carried out both around the stelae and in the vicinity of a nearby dug canal.

Excavations

From 2016 to 2018, excavations were conducted at two main sites:

1. The primary location where the stelae were mainly accumulated.
2. Approximately 200 meters northwest of this site, near a canal constructed in the second half of the 2000s.

Excavation of the Canal Site

In the first year, excavations were conducted simultaneously at two sites. During the exploration work near the stelae, a single-handled small pitcher was found at the bottom of the canal (Fig. 6). It was broken from the bulging body upwards, including the rim. Excavations revealed an underground burial at a depth of 1.1 meters. The anthropological material included a skull and various skeletal fragments. Additionally, 18 vessels and beads made of faience, cornelian, and bronze were discovered. The archaeological material was incomplete, and the integrity of the skeleton was compromised. Some bones were found under the skull, while others were scattered around the vessels. The skeleton's position was likely disturbed during the construction of the canal.

The discovered materials, including those with a black sheen torso, are typical of artifacts found in Artsakh and other stelae in the region. Some of these artifacts can be dated to the 9th-8th centuries BC, while others date back to the 7th-6th centuries BC. It should be noted that although excavations confirmed only one burial, previous archaeological expeditions in Artsakh, during the construction of the canal, also accidentally uncovered shell vessels in other areas (Petrosyan et al. 2008, 187-200).

In addition to the listed artifacts, various parts of the burial chamber, including the area under the skull of the deceased, contained fragments of a broken vessel. Some researchers suggest that breaking objects and burying them in a mausoleum signifies subjecting them to a ritual death, which is believed to be connected to ideas of the deceased's rebirth (Tumanyan 2010, 154-155).

The metal artifacts found in the mausoleum are relatively scarce. It comprises bronze pendants, bronze Scythian-type arrowheads, several bronze beads, and a fragment of an iron bridle.

The discovered arrowheads are typical of the "Scythian type" found in the South Caucasus, dating from the 8th century BC onwards.

Among the materials accompanying the horse's burial, several parts of a bone bridle were also found in the mausoleum, which has a horse's head in the upper part of the end, a horse's hoof-shaped ends in the lower part, and three cored holes in the middle part. Similar sculptures are widespread in the stelae of the Black Sea regions and Eastern Europe and date back to 1000 BC. 7-6th century and are associated with Scythian animal-style sculptures (Kantorović 2016, 101-108).

A pear-shaped mace made of granite with a cored hole was found on the floor of the mausoleum. The latter was most likely made from earlier iron prototypes and is found in stelae dating back to the 15th-13th centuries BC (Piller 2013, 309).

A similar stone pear-shaped mace was discovered in the Middle Bronze Age layer of Old Shirakavan. Bronze examples have also been unearthed in Lchashen, Gavar, and Artik, dating back to the 14th-8th centuries BC. This illustrates the enduring use of such weapons (Torosyan, Khnkikyan, Petrosyan 2002, 17, 43).

Of particular interest is the wealth of beads made from faience, carnelian, and bone found in the eastern corner of the mausoleum. The collection of nearly 5,000 beads in various colors likely adorned cloth used in burial rituals.

Additionally, the mausoleum contained over 300 snail shells, covering the entire floor. Various objects, including stones placed for purification and protective charms, were part of each burial ritual (Tumanyan 2010, 147). The practice of covering the mausoleum floor with shells likely held ritual significance, associated with beliefs in purifying the space.

The study of paleontological materials

The paleontological materials recovered from the excavations at Nor Karmiravan were studied by P.H.D. N. Zarikyan.

The animal species identified were predominantly domesticated: 6 small cattle (sheep/goat) Ovis aries/Capra hircus, 2 cows Bos taurus, and 4 horses Equus caballus. Additionally, remains from wild animals included 1 European roe deer Capreolus, 1 feline from the family Felidae, and 1 wild bull Bos primigenius (Hillson 2009; Prehn et al. 2018).

The study of anthropological materials

The anthropological material obtained from the excavations of Nor Karmiravan was studied by anthropologist H. Simonyan.

Among the anthropological findings, a fragmented and incomplete skull was identified. The missing parts include sections of the temporal bones, bones of the frontal skeleton on both sides, the left wing of the lower jaw, and part of the body. The skeleton is almost complete, although the long bones are fragmented post-mortem. The individual's age at the time of death was determined to be between 30 and 40 years old. Based on the analyses, the skeleton belongs to a male.

A History of Anthropomorphic Stone Stelae

As previously mentioned, none of the approximately three dozen anthropomorphic stone stelae known in the steppes of Artsakh had been authenticated in their original locations. Thanks to various excavations and research efforts, we managed to establish only the lower limit of the date of these stelae (Yeranyan 2021, 250-251).

However, an iconographic comparison with other similar stelae in the region allowed us to date the anthropomorphic stelae of Artsakh to the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, specifically the 8th-6th centuries BC. This hypothesis required further confirmation or refutation. Therefore, the discovery and excavation of the stelae  in situ provided crucial insights into this important question.

An important argument for dating the mausoleum was the archaeological material found within it. Without detailing the entire variety of artifacts, it is noteworthy that the discovered items have parallels in the stelae of Armenia, Transcaucasia, and Iran.

The majority of the materials correspond to the pottery typical of the period of widespread iron use in the South Caucasus. The discovered items date back to the 8th-7th and 7th-6th centuries BC, with some pieces showing similarities to earlier examples from the region.

Laboratory C-14 analysis of the anthropological sample from the tomb indicates a date of 2486±30 BP (late 6th - early 5th century BC). This dating supports the conclusion that the Nor Karmiravan tomb, along with the associated stelae, can be dated to approximately the 8th-6th centuries BC.

The function of anthropomorphic stelae

The excavations of the Nor Karmiravan mausoleum and the broader research around the tombstones provide valuable insights into the possible connection between the tombstones and the mausoleum, shedding light not only on their dating but also on their function.

Following the establishment of their dates, the question of the function remains critical. The excavations have helped clarify this aspect to a significant extent.

Despite the stelae being found in a lying position and potentially having shifted over time—especially considering the landscape alterations due to the installation of irrigation pipes during the Soviet era—they were discovered within the tomb cromlech. This strongly suggests that the stelae are indeed associated with the mausoleum. While it is challenging at this stage to determine their exact relationship, positioning, and orientation within the tomb (Fig. 11), the findings confirm their connection to this burial site.

In the vicinity of the excavated tomb at Nor Karmiravan, we conducted aerial photography using an infrared filter (operator: A. Mkrtchyan). The images (Fig. 12) revealed, and subsequent exploratory excavations confirmed, the presence of additional mausoleums in the area. This indicates that the site is part of a larger cemetery, where valued burials took place and the discussed anthropomorphic stelae were erected on-site.