Gndakar: a fortified settlement of II - I millennia bc

The article summarizes results of archaeological researches of the Gndakar (Topkar) fortified settlement located in the Aragatsotn province of the Republic of Armenia. The site consists of a fortress, a citadel, a settlement and cemeteries to be dated to the II-I millennia BC. The GIS-based analysis of disposition of this fortified settlement enables to conclude that the site possess high-level visibility and can maintain visual contact to other fortified settlements and fortresses in this region. Gndakar is strategically important because its location gave an unobstructed panorama of the road which linked the Ararat valley to Tsaghkahovit.