Moz settlement
Moz was an important commercial center on the Silk Road that passed through Greater Armenia. It was a famous settlement with several thousand inhabitants in early medieval times.
Moz Settlement
The ruins of this archeological site are located 4 km south-east of Malishka village, on the edge of Yerevan-Vayk highway, overlooking the right bank of the Arpa River.
The pottery attributed to Traghk-Vanadzor culture, decorative pins and other finds uncovered during the 1978-1979 excavations, led by Hasmik Israelyan, suggest that Moz was inhabited in the first quarter of the 2nd m., B.C.
The bronze belt tracing back to the 8th-7th cc. B.C. and the Hellenistic finds discovered in Malishka show that the area played a vital role during the Kingdom of Van and the Hellenistic period.
Moz was an important commercial center on the Silk Road that passed through Greater Armenia. It was a famous settlement with several thousand inhabitants in early medieval times.
Moz was first mentioned in the 8th century. Historian Stepanos Orbelian (13th c.) states that it was destroyed in the summer of 735, following the 40-day devastating earthquake that started the day Bishop Stepanos of Syunik was murdered.
The fall of Moz was also mentioned by Movses Kaghankatvatsi, Kirakos Gandzaketsi and Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi. Yeghegis district later came to replace Moz as the administrative center of Syunik and the seat of the Orbelian princes.
However, the dates on the khachkars (cross stones) and tombstones (1266, 1284, 1311, 1321, 1471, 1483) suggest that Moz continued to exist following the 8th century earthquake.
Moz is listed among the 13th century tributaries of Tatev monastery. Novlar (also known as Moz) small village was later established in this area and abandoned in the early 20th century.
The site was investigated in 1980 by the excavation group (led by Gr. Karakhanyan) of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR. The artifacts uncovered in the area are exhibited in the Yeghegnadzor geological museum.
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