The Artsakh Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the NAS RA (National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia) was established in 2004. Its main goal was to carry out archaeological research in the territory of the Republic of Artsakh within the framework of cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Artsakh and the NAS RA. Since 2004, the expedition has carried out excavations in Shushi and its surroundings, in the monasteries of Handaberd, Dadivank, and St. Stephen of Vachar, in Amaras, Berdashen, Martakert, and other archaeological sites. The results of the excavations were published in Artsakh, Armenian, and foreign scientific periodicals (see “Publications” section).
In 2005, the expedition authenticated the archaeological traces of the city of Tigranakert, founded in Artsakh by the Armenian king Tigran II the Great (95-55 BC), and conducted extensive excavations in its territory in 2006-2020.
The research on Tigranakert was initiated and financed by the “Yerkir” (country) Union of NGOs for Repatriation and Settlement. Since 2008, the government of the Republic of Artsakh has been financing the excavations.
The expedition was led by Hamlet L. Petrosyan, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Head of Chair of Cultural Studies of Yerevan State University, and Doctor of History, Professor.
The permanent members of the expedition included Lyuba Kirakosyan, Doctor of Architecture, Professor at Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction; Vardges Safaryan, Candidate of History, Associate Professor at Artsakh State University; Tatyana Vardanesova, Candidates of History at Yerevan State University; Inessa Karapetyan; Armine Gabrielyan, Nzhdeh Yeranyan; Ruben Hovsepyan; and PhD student Hamazasp Abrahamyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the NAS RA. Other participants included Ashot Piliposyan, Doctor of History; Zhores Khachatryan; Aghavni Zhamkochyan; Nora Yengibaryan; Roman Hovsepyan; Hasmik Margaryan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the NAS RA; Ruben Vardanyan from the History Museum of Armenia, Hayk Hakobyan from Yerevan State University, along with several students from Yerevan State University and Artsakh State University. Sorbonne University (France) Professor of Roman History, Armenologist Giusto Traina, archaeologists Sara Ciampi and Francesca Kelly of the University of Florence, and anthropologist Paul Bailey were also briefly engaged in the excavations of Tigranakert.
