Early pastoralism and natural resource management: recent research at Godedzor
Résumé
The settlement of Godedzor is located at 1,800 m asl in the region of Syunik (south-eastern
Armenia). Previous studies have highlighted the strategic position of the site in connection to
both east to west and north to south routes of communication and in relation to the proximity
to the main obsidian outcrops of the region. Excavations at Godedzor started in 2005 and
revealed three main levels of occupation consisting of wooden and stone architecture. A
substantial set of radiocarbon datings proves that the occupation at Godedzor can be dated to
the mid 4th millennium and highlights that the site is one of the latest Chalcolithic occupations
discovered so far in the southern Caucasus. In this paper, the most recent research on the
architectural, ceramic, archeozoological and archeobotanical evidence from Godedzor
is analysed and combined so as to build a comprehensive picture on the strategies of the
pastoral groups that occupied Godedzor, on their origins and finally on the role that these
groups played in the circulation of the obsidian in north-western Iran and in the introduction
of farming practices in the highlands of southern Armenia.
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