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Code
CS17.19
Season
2017
Narrative

This morning we trekked up the difficult road northeast of Chknagh in order to access the purported burial cluster at the top of the hill. Upon reaching the top we encountered an incredible burial cluster of large kurgans and (raised) cromlechs. I recorded 14 at first, but this figure will most likely increase we as investigate further. The kurgans were at least ten meters in diameter and some had collapsed, exposing the corbeled architecture used to create the mound under the capstones. Ian managed to capture video footage inside one of the burial chambers, showing a space that stretched from the center of the structure to the outer stone ring, which suggests that the entire chamber is as long as the diameter itself. We can only speculate that others contain equally large burial chambers. Just south of the burial cluster, on the crest of a hill and slightly behind it, is an array of stone architecture indicative of a large settlement. Here we observed collapsed walls both curvilinear and rectilinear in shape and many had earthen depressions, which also points to domestic space. There were no visible surface scatters, the exception being a small obsidian scatter which we collected. We investigated a drainage area to the immediate east and did not find any ceramics or other artifacts that usually wash down into such areas. We flew the drone to capture some overhead images and to give us a clearer idea of its purpose in this position. Based on the positions of the other hill forts and settlements in the Vardenis / Chknagh / Ttujur valley, this site most likely punctuates the occupation in this area, due to its position in the back corner of the valley, but its period is not clear as of now (possible MB).