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Code
GB15.01
Season
2015
Narrative

"They're Everywhere!" Day 1 of the 2015 Aparan ArAGATS survey was characterized by the spotting and reporting of kurgans, kurgans and well, more kurgans. In my first introductory transect (which began at 4445576 E / 4495411 N) I encountered a line of five of these burial structures that descended down the slope. Fairly evenly spaced and uniform in size, it became clear the extent to which these installments were crafted and placed with some intentionality. At the end of this first transect Ian and I noticed Ar/Ar.GB15.01, a large rectilinear enclosure. Though nothing was visible within the area, the existing wall segments were prominent enough to define a loose perimeter. We continued our survey from here northeast of the transect. There we noted the presence of many kurgans as we ascended Mt. Baldi. On the lower half of the hill it appeared as though the kurgans were uniformly smaller in size than those on the upper half. Such uniformity as well as the presence of Ar/Ar.AG.15.09 suggested that there might have been a formalized (hierarchical?) distinction between the burials in these two respective regions. Transect 2 (445162E/4495611N) was, at least initially, a quaint walk through a flat flower-filled field that seemed to contain no visible cultural materials. While I did discover the segment of a wall Ar/Ar.GB15.02 that might be related to Ar/Ar.AC15.01, the walk did not get interesting until the very end of the transect. As the elevation of the slope increased, Alan and I were abruptly greeted with a large cluster of kurgans. The stark environmental and cultural distinction between this region and that of the earlier part of the transect seems to suggest that we are dealing with a distinct and definable cemetery. Tomorrow we plan to map all of the kurgans specifically situated within this area to gain a better understanding of the extent and overall profile of this burial space.