Dynamics in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe
Lecture
Lunchbox Lecture: Medieval Eghegis (Armenia): The Cosmopolitan Past of a Village
CERES Palais, room "Ruhrpott" (4.13)
Lunchbox Lecture by Zara Pogossian (Bochum)
In August 2018 the presenter organised a week-long research field trip to the village of Yeghegis in the Region of Vayots' Dzor, Armenia, co-sponsored by the ERC project JewsEast and her Innovators fund from RUB Research School. Archaeologists from the University of Florence, University of Chieti (Italy), Erevan State University and Armenian Academy of Sciences came together for a collaborative effort. The purpose was to conduct a deep impact archaeological survey of the village of Yeghegis and explore the material context of its Jewish Cemetery. The Cemetery constitutes unique evidence on a medieval Jewish community in Armenia for whom there is tantalisingly little written evidence. The team's explorations of medieval cultural monuments within and outside the village indicated that it was once home to a multi-religious community and economically thrived due to its close distance from at least two way stations of the system of Silk Roads. The presentation aims to transmit this cultural vibrancy, share the images of impressive landscapes and load the hard work of archaeologist colleagues, as well as explain the importance of further research in this fascinating area
