Areni-1 cave complex

Areni-1 is a karst cave complex in Armenia's southern Vayots Dzor province, near the town of Yeghegnadzor, and ranks among the most significant prehistoric sites in the South Caucasus. Inhabited continuously from the Stone Age through the Chalcolithic period, it also served as a ritual cult site — in 2011 excavators uncovered a 6,000-year-old winemaking installation here, identified as the world's oldest known wine press. Evidence suggests the cave may have seen continued ritual use into the medieval period. Systematic archaeological fieldwork begun in 2007 has yielded remarkably well-preserved finds including leather shoes, woven textiles, and ceramic vessels, with new discoveries still emerging each season.