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postgraduate thesis: Archaeological investigation of a potential early medieval burial pit at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia
Title | Archaeological investigation of a potential early medieval burial pit at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia |
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Authors | |
Advisors | |
Issue Date | 2024 |
Publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) |
Citation | Lam, Y. C. G. [林逸晴]. (2024). Archaeological investigation of a potential early medieval burial pit at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia. (Thesis). University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR. |
Abstract | This study investigates the material and ideological dimensions of an Early Medieval pit excavated in 2022 at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia. The Vedi Fortress, initially fortified during the Late Bronze Age (ca 1550-1200 BCE), sits on a prominent rock outcrop guarding the entrance to the Vedi River valley where it intersects the fertile Ararat Plain. It was later refortified during the Early Medieval (EM) period of approximately 450-650 CE, when Armenia was under Sasanian Persian suzerainty. The pit was discovered at the East Shelf, a triangular prominence located just below the main citadel east of the site with a view of the Vedi River valley. Based on analysis from three aspects: the location of the medieval pit, its material assemblage, and its construction style, I suggest in this paper that the pit was intentionally built as a memorial burial. Burials are recognized as valuable archaeological evidence, offering insights not only into the broader sociopolitical environments of their respective periods but also the processes of producing new traditions and meaning. They serve as expressions of human creativity and adaptations in response to uncertainty. By situating the above three elements within the local and regional context, this study aims to shed light on local funerary practices and the interactions between Armenian and Sasanian cultures, emphasizing the possibilities of assimilation and appropriation of foreign culture in a local setting. Additionally, this study aims to use this potential burial to understand the lives of the people of the Vedi fortress. |
Degree | Master of Philosophy |
Subject | Archaeology, Medieval - Armenia Burial - Armenia |
Dept/Program | Humanities |
Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/354765 |
DC Field | Value | Language |
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dc.contributor.advisor | Cobb, PJ | - |
dc.contributor.advisor | Williams, AL | - |
dc.contributor.author | Lam, Yat Ching Gina | - |
dc.contributor.author | 林逸晴 | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2025-03-10T09:24:03Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2025-03-10T09:24:03Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2024 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | Lam, Y. C. G. [林逸晴]. (2024). Archaeological investigation of a potential early medieval burial pit at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia. (Thesis). University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR. | - |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/354765 | - |
dc.description.abstract | This study investigates the material and ideological dimensions of an Early Medieval pit excavated in 2022 at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia. The Vedi Fortress, initially fortified during the Late Bronze Age (ca 1550-1200 BCE), sits on a prominent rock outcrop guarding the entrance to the Vedi River valley where it intersects the fertile Ararat Plain. It was later refortified during the Early Medieval (EM) period of approximately 450-650 CE, when Armenia was under Sasanian Persian suzerainty. The pit was discovered at the East Shelf, a triangular prominence located just below the main citadel east of the site with a view of the Vedi River valley. Based on analysis from three aspects: the location of the medieval pit, its material assemblage, and its construction style, I suggest in this paper that the pit was intentionally built as a memorial burial. Burials are recognized as valuable archaeological evidence, offering insights not only into the broader sociopolitical environments of their respective periods but also the processes of producing new traditions and meaning. They serve as expressions of human creativity and adaptations in response to uncertainty. By situating the above three elements within the local and regional context, this study aims to shed light on local funerary practices and the interactions between Armenian and Sasanian cultures, emphasizing the possibilities of assimilation and appropriation of foreign culture in a local setting. Additionally, this study aims to use this potential burial to understand the lives of the people of the Vedi fortress. | - |
dc.language | eng | - |
dc.publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | HKU Theses Online (HKUTO) | - |
dc.rights | The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works. | - |
dc.rights | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. | - |
dc.subject.lcsh | Archaeology, Medieval - Armenia | - |
dc.subject.lcsh | Burial - Armenia | - |
dc.title | Archaeological investigation of a potential early medieval burial pit at the Vedi Fortress site in Armenia | - |
dc.type | PG_Thesis | - |
dc.description.thesisname | Master of Philosophy | - |
dc.description.thesislevel | Master | - |
dc.description.thesisdiscipline | Humanities | - |
dc.description.nature | published_or_final_version | - |
dc.date.hkucongregation | 2025 | - |
dc.identifier.mmsid | 991044924090203414 | - |