黑体, SimHei;">亚美尼亚Armenia是世界公认的葡萄与葡萄酒的摇篮，古植物考古学早就证明，高加索、黑海、亚美尼亚一带就是种植葡萄的发源地。

亚美尼亚 Location of Armenia             前苏联亚美尼亚共和国军徽

The coat of arms of Soviet Armenia depicting Mount Ararat in the centre

View from the Araratian plain near the city of Artashat, Armenia.

                      亚美尼亚阿拉拉特山大平原的葡萄园

     从高速路看阿雷尼村Areni village as seen from the highway.

       阿雷尼村 Areni Արենի is located in Armenia(www.daowen.com)

亚美尼亚的阿雷尼村Areni又被认为是该国最著名的葡萄酒产区。2007-2010年亚美尼亚和爱尔兰的联合考古队对阿雷尼村的一号洞穴坑做了考古挖掘，2007年试探性挖掘，发现了公元前5000-4000年前的石器-青铜器早期的洞穴通道。2007-2008年进一步挖掘又发现人类头盖骨化石和食物遗物。揭示了旧世界最早的人类活动，特别是公元前4200-3900年前铜器时代的葡萄酒产业和不同文化的陶罐，将亚美尼亚青铜时期的文化活动向前提早了800年。发现包括金属刀具，30多种水果种子(葡萄、李、核桃)，10多种谷物、绳、布料、草料、芦苇、葡萄干和李干等。

          雷尼村一号洞穴坑 the Areni-1 cave complex

       世界最早的鞋 The 5550 years old Areni-1 shoe

2011年1月考古专家宣布发现了世界上最早的葡萄酒作坊，即阿雷尼村一号坑酒作坊Areni-1 winery，7个月后宣布在同一个洞穴中发现了世界上最早的鞋，阿雷尼村一号坑鞋Areni-1 shoe。这个具有6100年历史的葡萄酒作坊内发现了葡萄酒压榨用具，葡萄酒发酵罐、酒罐和酒杯。还发现了欧亚种葡萄Vitis vinifera的种子。美国宾夕法尼亚大学的人类生物分子学家Patrick McGovern在评价这一重大发现时称，可以证明的是，葡萄酒酿造技术在公元前4000年前就得到很好的应用，比1963年以色列境内发现的犹太和撒马利亚地区Judea and Samaria Area的葡萄酒酿造早了几千年。有可能这一技术还可追溯到更久远时期。

Areni

Areni (Armenian: Արենի; formerly Arpa) is a village in the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. It is best known for its wine production, although the majority of wine produced locally is from the nearby village of Getap. The church of S. Astvatsatsin is a single-nave two-aisled domed Armenian church completed in the year 1321, and is located a top a plateau overlooking the Arpa River and Areni. It was designed by the architect and sculptor Momik who is best known for his high-relief carvings at the monastery of Noravank (located approximately 6 kilometers southeast from Areni). Nearby are also the 13th century ruins of lord Tarsaitch Orbelian of Syunik's palace, moved from Yeghegis to Areni during that time. Ruins of a 13th-century bridge built by Bishop Sarkis in 1265-1287 are one kilometer northeast of the church. At the same location are the remains of an older bridge.