Elar Archaeological Sites – a complex of Bronze Age archaeological monuments, discovered 18 km north of Yerevan, in the village of Elar. Among these monuments, particularly noteworthy are a settlement and burial grounds from the Early Bronze Age. Excavations have revealed circular houses and storage pits, roughly built stone tombs, as well as simple ceramics and bronze axe-heads characteristic of the early stage of the Mtkvari-Araxes (Kura-Araxes) culture. There are also materials from the Iron Age which include an iron bracelet, a bronze button, a black-polished clay bowl, and carnelian beads.
Literature: К у ф т и н Б. А., Урартский «Колумбарий» у подошвы Арарата и Куро-Араксский энеолит, საქართველოს სახელმწ. მუზეუმის მოამბე», 1944, ტ. 13 В; М а р т и р о с я н А. А., Армения в эпоху бронзы и раннего железа, Ер., 1964; Ч у б и н и ш в и л и Т. Н., К древней истории Южного Кавказа, [т.] 1, Тб., 1971.
T. Kighuradze