Areni-1, also known as Bird's Cave, is in the Vayots Dzor province of southern Armenia, near the village of Areni and the Arpa River. It is a Chalcolithic (Copper Age) archaeological site dating from the 5th to 4th millennium BCE and one of the best preserved sites in the South Caucasus. The cave's dry, stable conditions have preserved remarkable finds, including the world's oldest known leather shoe, about 5,500 years old, and the earliest known evidence of winemaking, with a wine press, fermentation vessels and grape remains. Excavations have also uncovered burials, pottery, textiles and plant remains that shed light on daily life and ritual.
