Archaeologists to study artefacts found during 11 years in Azokh Cave in Nagorno-Karabakh

This year, archaeologists plan to analyze and qualify the materials collected since 2002 during excavations in the Azokh Cave, located in the Hadrut District of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Levon Yepiskoposyan, the head of the international archaeological expedition, it is time to create a museum-laboratory for professionals to have an opportunity to examine the artefacts in place, and to open an exhibition for tourists.

Levon Yepiskoposyan, who is also an anthropologist and geneticist, Doctor of Biological Sciences and the leading researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the Azokh Cave is unique for its cultural layer.

According to the head of the expedition, they found in the cave traces of Neanderthal man, remains of a large number of animal species, extinct today, and the presence of unique endemic bat species.

According to Sergey Shakhverdyan, the head of the department of tourism and protection of historic environment of Nagorno-Karabakh, there is already a government's decision that after a new school is built in the village of Azokh, the building of the old one will be given for the needs of the Azokh archaeological expedition; and a museum-laboratory will be made there.

Shakhverdyan believes that the local community or law enforcement bodies should be in charge of guarding the Azokh Cave. According to his story, "entrance of aliens to the Azokh Cave is completely unacceptable", since any person, who entered there, disrupts the natural balance.