A special team of archaeologists on Saturday unearthed the third shrine of the Arsacids (Arshakunis, AD 54-428) in Aghtzk, a village in Armenia’s Aragatsotn region which is historically known to be home to the royal family.
The historic ceremony was attended by President of the National Assembly Galust Sahakyan, Minister of Culture Armen Armiryan, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin, member of the National Assembly Aragats Akhoyan (Prosperous Armenia), and residents of the village.
Speaking to reporters at the excavation site, a lead archaeologist of the team, Hakob Simonyan, said they have completed only the first phase of their activities to later submit the excavated samples for laboratory testing before creating museum exhibits.
“The research allows us to conduct an excursus from the 4th century until the period of Shah Abbas the Great’s invasion, the 17th century, to see the genetic structure of the people who lived here and the genetic transformations in ourselves,” he explained.
Minister Amiryan added that they are planning to fund a special project aimed at turning the ancient crypt into a museum and making the village a special tourist attraction site.
Source: http://www.tert.am/en/news/2016/11/12/shrine/2191177