Today we completed the remaining minor tasks in the Ar/Ni landscape and added approximately 15 transects to the southeastern edge of this survey quadrant. Weather was hot and clear, with low wind, for me, Ian, Amy, Salpi, and Gabby.
We first showed Ian the hill with a possible fortress from the mid-western edge of the survey quadrant, the one featuring a Soviet era geodesic mapping station. After re-examination of the architecture, terrace spaces, and shaped stone features, the site was designated as Nigaberd 7.
We also visited the alleged "road to nowhere"--the walled corridor stretching over 1.1 km in the southern portion of the survey quadrant--and examined the paving and midline stones at its eastern extent. We recorded a possible continuation of the "road" feature as well, a bit uphill and west of the apparent end of the road. This curvilinear site (Ar/Ni.AG15.62) is narrower and more rocky/paved.
We then walked transects in the southeastern portion of the survey quad starting near the large Aparan TV antenna. Site densities seemed a relatively lower here, although plenty of ridge-top architecture and several burial clusters were recorded. Of particular interest were two new sites recorded as fortresses (Nigaberd 08 and 09), one of which fell on one of my transects, where I recorded several rooms or corridors E-W along the ridgeline. This southeast portion of the survey area is heavily fortified and it will take extensive mapping and analysis to understand exactly how the defensive system was designed here.