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General Info
Site ID
Ar/Ts.161.04
Site Name
Tsaghkahovit BC 060
Site Type
Burial Cluster
Landscape
Tsaghkahovit
Periodization
Late Bronze, Iron 1
UTM Zone
38T
UTM Easting
436914
UTM Northing
4498817
Elevation
2,157m
Association

Ts BC 60 lies 0.17km east (bearing 95°) of Ts BC 59, on the opposite slope of the same north-south oriented ridge (map quad C5a).

Topography

This cluster lies on a gentle east-facing slope and adjacent flat basin. The basin is 0.1km across, although the majority of burials appear to congregate on its western margin.

General Description

This cluster of cromlechs is concentrated in a 35m x 50m area on the slope but does extend into the adjacent basin where burials become more broadly spaced. Within the heart of the cluster burials tend to be evenly spaced 5-8m apart and range from 4.5 to 7m in diameter. Most of the burials are either standard or spiral cromlechs, although several stepped cromlechs were also noted. Estimates suggest that the central area was composed of over 32 cromlechs while 4-6 more were counted in the adjacent basin.

Features & Materials

No surface materials.

Feature 1 (plate XIId): combines elements of the stepped and paved cromlech styles. Located on the southern edge of the central concentration, it was constructed of two concentric rings of large shaped blocks defining an outer circle 5.5m in diameter. The inner step raised the interior portion of the burial 20cm above the level of the outer-most ring. The interior of the construction does not have a clearly identifiable capstone but instead seems to have been paved with medium-sized shaped basalt blocks.

Feature 2: lies near the northern limit of Ts BC 60 and does not fit any of the typical burial construction types. The feature is rectangular in plan, with rounded corners. Oriented roughly north-south, it is 13m long and 12m wide. It is constructed solely of small basalt cobbles with no circumferential ring or other sign of worked stone. It is possible that the feature is an awkwardly shaped kurgan, but it may also be a simple pile of stones cleared from nearby fields.

Previous Citations

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