Arsen Bobokhyan specializes in early archaeology of the Armenian Highland, the Near East and Asia Minor, cultural and trade relations, history of urbanism, identity problems, ancient religion and cult. Early BA studies were at the Yerevan State University (1992-1996). Later he continued his education at the Universities of Munich (1999-2000) and Tubingen (2001-2006), where he received the Dr. Philosophy Degree (2006). A. Bobokhyan was visiting professor at the Universities of Innsbruck (2012, 2016), Halle-Wittenberg (2012), Montpellier (2018), Genève (2022) as well as at Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (2018). Archaeological fieldworks cover various expeditions both in Armenia (Sotk, Margahovit, Mt. Aragats) and abroad (Udabno in Georgia, Al Buhais in United Arab Emirates, Troy in Turkey). He collaborates with peer reviewed periodicals in Armenia (“Etschmiadzin Review”, Etschmiadzin, editor-in-chief, 2015-2017; “Herald of Social Sciences”, Yerevan, vice-editor, 2017-2023; “Aramazd: Armenian Journal of Near Eastern Studies”, Oxford, co-editor, 2006-2023) and is in advisory boards of some international journals (“Amirani”: Journal of the International Caucasological Research Institute, Tbilisi-Montréal, 2012-2023; “Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean”, Warsaw, 2020-2023). He got “Golden medal of the Ministry of Culture”, RA for activities in cultural sphere (2017). Publications include ca. 200 units appeared both in Armenia and abroad among others also in international peer reviewed journals. Since 2022 he is the Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of RA.
Education
Dr. Philosophy (Archaeology), University of Tubingen, Germany
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, NAS, Yerevan
MA, Munich University, Germany
BA, Yerevan State University, Armenia
Office location
607MB, Paramaz Avedisian Building
Phone
(+374 410) 93 77 15 62
Office hours
Mondays 16:30-17.30 pm
Areas of research and teaching specialization
Archaelogy of the Ancient Near East and the Caucasus, Ancient Communication Systems, Early Religion
Courses currently taught
CHSS 195 Introduction to Archaeology
Research Database IDs
ORCID: 0000-0002-2277-8281
Research activities/Projects
Vishap Project. Excavations and Survey of Prehistoric Monumental Stelae in the Armenian Mountains (collaboration with Universities of Venice and Berlin)
Ushkiani Project. The Importance of Gold for the Cultural Development in Bronze Age Caucasia (Collaboration with University of Halle)
Selected Publications
Monographs
Kommunikation und Austausch im Hochland zwischen Kaukasus und Taurus, ca. 2500-1500 v. Chr., Bd. 1-2, Oxford: Hedges, 2008, 674 p.
Archaeology of Urartu: Fortress-Settlements and Burial Complexes, Yerevan: Bavigh, 2010, 236 p. (coauthor H. Avtisyan) (in Armenian).
“Scientific Adventures” of Atrpet and Discovery of Vishap Stelae, Yerevan: History Museum of Armenia, 2020, 151 p. (in Armenian).
Articles
Identifying Balance Weights and Weight Systems in Bronze Age Troia: Preliminary Reflections, in: Alberti M.-E., Ascalone E., Peyronel L. (ed.), Weights in Context. Bronze Age Weighing Systems of Eastern Mediterranean - Chronology, Typology, Material and Archaeological Context, Roma, 2006, pp. 71-125.
Troia 2005 - Südliche Unterstadt, Quadrat X24, S. 17-21, in: Jablonka P., Vorbericht zu den Arbeiten in Troia 2005, Studia Troica 16, Mainz am Rhein, 2006, S. 3-26 (coauthor M. Ivanova).
Bronze Age Balance Weights in the Berlin Schliemann Collection: Their Identification and Reconstruction of the Archaeological Context, Heinrich Schliemanns Sammlung Trojanischer Altertümer - Neuvorlage 1, Berliner Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Neue Folge 14, Berlin, 2008, pp. 271-294.
Trading Implements at Early Troy, Anatolian Studies 59, London, 2009, pp. 19-50.
Schelle und Rassel, Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Archäologie 12/1-2, Berlin - New York, 2009, S. 139-141.
L’Arménie préouratéenne: L’apparition des villes, Donabédian P., Mutafian Cl., (éd.), Les douze capitales d’Arménie, Paris, 2010, pp. 284-293.
The Pottery Traditions in Armenia from the Eighth to the Seventh Centuries BC, Acta Iranica 51, 2012, pp. 373-378 (coauthor P. Avetisyan).
Bleigewichte aus den Schichten Troja VIII und IX in der Berliner Schliemann-Sammlung, Heinrich Schliemanns Sammlung Trojanischer Altertümer - Neuvorlage 2, Berliner Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Neue Folge 18, Berlin, 2014, S. 277-291.
Archaeological Management in the Republic of Armenia: From Past Experiences to New Approaches, in: Korka E. (ed.), The Protection of Archaeological Heritage in Times of Economic Crisis, Cambridge, 2014, pp. 129-137.
LA-ICP-MS Analysis of Prehistoric Copper and Bronze Metalwork from Armenia, in: Dussubieux L., Golitko M., Gratuze B. (ed.), Recent Advances in Laser Ablation ICP-MS for Archaeology, Berlin-Heidelberg, Springer-Verlag, 2016, pp. 115-133 (Coautors D. Peterson et al.).
Eight Millennia of Matrilineal Genetic Continuity in the South Caucasus, Current Biology 27/1-6, Elsevier, 2017, pp. 1-13 (coauthors A. Margaryan A. et al.).
Preliminary Archaeological Investigations in the Lake Sevan Region/Armenia, Praehistorische Zeitschrift 1, Berlin, 2021, pp. 1-10 (coauthor R. Kunze).
Foregrounding Daily Data Collection on Archaeological Fieldwork, Advances in Archaeological Practice 1, Cambridge, 2021, pp. 1-13 (doi:10.1017/aap.2021.30) (coauthors A. Petrosyan et al.).
The Ecstasy of Gold: Magnetometer Prospection for the Ushkiani Project in Armenia, ArcheoSciences 45/1, 2021, pp. 67-70 (doi.org/10.4000/archeosciences.8544) (coauthors S. Hahn et al.).
Prehistory and Early History of Armenia, in: Siegesmund S. (ed.), Armenian Panorama: Culture, Nature, People, Halle, Mitteldeutscher Verlag, 2022, pp. 135-197.
Diverse Dietary Practices across the Early Bronze Age ‘Kura-Araxes Culture’ in the South Caucasus, PLOS ONE 17, 2022, pp. 1-22 (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278345) (coauthors N. Manoukian et al.).
Gefäβmarken auf Depa Amphikypella in der Berliner Troja-Sammlung, Heinrich Schliemanns Sammlung Trojanischer Altertümer – Neuvorlage 3, Berliner Beiträge zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte 28, Berlin, 2023, S. 9-32.