Today we walked multiple transects just west of the M3 highway in the southern portion of the Aparan survey quadrant and northern portion of the Kuchak survey quadrant (all in the eastern foothills of Mt. Aragats). While all of my recorded sites consisted of Soviet clearance and amelioration activity, we did record at least one conclusive Paleolithic site, one of several recorded on both sides of the valley this summer. Today's, Ar/Ku KA16.09, appears to be higher up the mountain on the same drainage as the one identified several days ago, Ar/Ku.KA16.02. It will be interesting to investigate this stream more intensively to see if material is being moved from high to low, or if there are indeed multiple Paleolithic sites along its banks.
It is also interesting that Paleolithic sights are basically the only sites that we are finding between Aparan I and Kuchak II, suggesting the possible presence of a boundary/border between Bronze Age communities, at least on this side of the valley. Next year's work, east of the M3 highway, will shed more light on the geographic dynamics of the Bronze Age occupation.