Viva joins the creation of a cave museum

To preserve the country’s archaeological heritage and present the world with finds of universal significance through science-based tourism. Viva and the “Areni-1 Cave” Scientific Research Foundation have begun cooperation to create the first cave museum in Armenia. For seven years now, the foundation has been conducting research in Vayots Dzor.

The focus is not only on the studies of Areni Cave, but also on the archaeological heritage of the Arpa River Valley. The best option to present the entire chain from the discovered finds to the development of infrastructure is to create a cave museum managed from a single point and safeguraded by a security system. Viva will support in these very issues. From the creation of display cases to the preservation of exhibits and a security system, consistent work is required.

“The goal of this project is more than creating a museum in the “Areni-1” cave or ensuring its management system and security. The cornerstone of our partnership is to develop science-based tourism through the preservation of archaeological heritage. A consistent attitude towards cultural heritage will allow us to ensure a complete chain between the discovery of important materials through excavations, their presentation and the development of infrastructure. Figuratively speaking, we will give tourists from different countries of the world the opportunity to “communicate” with our archaeological heritage,” said Viva’s General Director Armen Avetisian.

Thousands of finds related to the worldview of the society that lived 6,000 years ago were discovered in the Areni-1 cave, which represents the connection between material and spiritual cultures. The discovered colorful jar is currently considered the most important find. A museum consisting of two halls will be created in the cave to display these and other finds of global value.

“Creating a museum is quite a difficult task, because the problem is not only in the showcases, but also in the development of the concept by which these showcases should be displayed; Viva’s great help here is that we are completely furnishing the museum. We will constantly change, update the exhibition, and give it some thematic orientation, because thousands of finds have been found in Areni: ceramics, wood, textiles, etc. In Areni, we have the entire cycle of early metalworking. From raw materials to the transformation of finished products, re-melting, etc. You will hardly find a monument in the region that has such a preservation cycle,” said Boris Gasparyan, founder of the “Areni-1” Cave Research Foundation, researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences, and head of the Areni expedition.

The creation of a cave museum is also important from the point of view of contributing to economic life in the Vayots Dzor region.

After the museum is completed, experts plan to work towards the shaping of the exhibition. The area was once under the ocean; as a result of its transformation into land, its layers have preserved exceptional traces of history, from the early stages of the formation of humanity to the present day. The goal of turning the cave into a museum requires time and consistent work from all parties involved.