Artik Catacomb Burial Ground

a burial complex dating from the 14th to the ninth centuries B.C., located 4 km west of the town of Artik in the Armenian SSR. This burial ground has been studied since 1960 by T. S. Khachatrian. This was the first time that catacomb burial grounds (single, or more rarely in pairs) were discovered on Armenian territory. The artifacts found in these burial grounds included bronze weapons (poleaxes, swords, daggers, and spear tips), ornaments (bracelets and pendants), Work tools, and pottery (black and polished, of various forms and with various kinds of ornamentation). These artifacts from the Artik catacomb burial grounds are similar to other objects from gravesites of the same date discovered on Armenian territory. They demonstrate a high degree of artistry among the local craftsmen and also bear witness to ties with the cultures of Southwest Asia.