Armenian archeologists are worried about the future of the world’s oldest (5,500-year-old) leather shoe, found in a cave in Armenian province Vayots Dzor in 2008. It has not been fully examined yet; conservation issues of the shoe are not settled, and specialists are indignant that government officials take no steps to preserve it.
The shoe which is now displayed at the Yerevan History Museum, was found during the excavations in a cave conditionally called Areni-1 which is part of The Arpa River Valley Monument. The expedition consisted of representatives from three countries – Armenia, Northern Ireland, and the United States. News of the world’s most ancient shoe first appeared in mass media last June, and within two days at least 3 billion readers learned of it from posts on CNN and other sites.
Inside the cave where the oldest shoe and other important artifacts, including a winery, were found.
Now, however, hard feelings, perhaps bruised egos, and apparent carelessness by the Ministry of Culture delay the possibility of exposing even more significant treasures discovered in Areni that would arguably serve to put Armenia in the world spotlight.
Boris Gasparyan, of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at the RA National Academy of Sciences, head of the Armenian archeological expedition, is extremely concerned about the further examination of the ancient shoe and says he himself had time enough only to estimate the age of the shoe and learn a little bit about how it was made, before it was taken custody by the state history museum.
“It is impossible to carry out another kind of examination of the shoe in Armenia, because of the lack of proper laboratories, equipment and specialists,” he says.
The historical shoe is currently hosted by the Yerevan History Museum. Director of the museum Anelka Grigoryan says that the shoe is preserved with appropriate light and temperature regime, and there is no need to worry.
However, specialists are still worried.
Archeologist Gregory Areshian, head of the American expedition, says when the shoe was discovered, it was well-preserved, but now it must be conserved.
“It will start getting dry and in some ten years it will completely fall apart,” says Areshian.
According to the order by which archeological excavations are held, artifacts must be delivered to the State two years after the excavations. Gasparyan says that the legislation regulating archeology is imperfect; there is no law on archeology in Armenia.
According to that order, it is the head of the expedition who must decide which museum the artifact must be delivered to, something that has not been the case with the oldest shoe.
“Nobody asked me anything. The Ministry of Culture phoned our director and said that the President of Armenia [Serzh Sargsyan] wanted to see the shoe. We suggested that they come and see it at our institute. But they said it was not appropriate, so it was decided to take the shoe to the museum and register it. And once it is registered we do not have legal right to deal with it anymore,” says Gasparyan.
Areshian says that the museum and the Ministry of Culture of Armenia must take care of the conservation issues. According to him, international institutions specializing in conservation of leather items can provide technical assistance to Armenia in this regard.
The Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Culture told ArmeniaNow to address all shoe-related questions to the Yerevan History Museum.
The director of the museum said they have turned to certain restoration centers (in Oxford and Germany) for assistance and are waiting for their response.
“We are currently discussing the issue of further examination and maintenance of the shoe with the Restoration Center of Matenadaran [Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts] to make the right decision about which laboratory to turn to,” says director of the museum Grigoryan.
Gasparyan says, however, that New York’s Metropolitan Museum, one of the world’s most famous archeological centers, offered to fully examine the shoe, restore it and exhibit for six months as a compensation for their expenses, and later return the shoe to Armenia.
“It would be very much in our country's best interest; after all something Armenian would be displayed in a place like that. I have received a similar offer from Israel, too,” says Gasparyan, who has not submitted these offers to the director of the museum, because he is offended by their behavior.
“I do not initiate anything myself, because I do not want to work with that museum,” he says. “Here the lack of law is essential. It is an archeologist’s right to further work with the artifact since it is an archeologist who has excavated it.”
The expedition has discovered that 39 caves in the cave complex of Vayots Dzor were once populated.
Besides the shoe, well-preserved wooden, bone and leather objects, a clothing item, even human soft tissues and human body remnants were found in Areni.
The head of the expedition has a preliminary agreement with the administration of the Sardarapat Ethnological Museum, where he is planning to give the rest of the objects for display.
“The director [of Sardarapat Museum] assisted us with great pleasure and joined our program. That's the right way to work, and not just coming and taking away the artifact without asking and pulling administrative levers,” Gasparyan says.
The archeologist says that there are other artifacts which may cause an even greater stir. Almost fully preserved mutton and sheep fur were found in the cave. They are waiting for dating results. Gasparyan believes that it is 6,000 years old, which would mean that it was a mummy, and it is older than all Egyptian mummies.
“It would be a sensation. I am sure the way I was sure in case of the shoe, and insisted that it was an artifact dating back to the Copper Age (7000-5000 BC),” Gasparyan explains.
Source:
http://armenianow.com/features/25224/world_s_oldest_leather_shoe
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