Yerevan /Mediamax/. The U.S. government-funded preservation project in Areni Cave has been completed.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills attended the ceremony marking completion of the renovation project and held the official opening of the cave.

The archeological site, where scientists found the earliest-known human shoe and the earliest winery, has no shortage of visitors. However, the tourists endanger any unfound objects and interfere with ongoing archeology.

The U.S. government funded a preservation effort in Areni Cave with a grant from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), awarded in 2013. The USD 52,870 grant helped fund the installation of a protective fence around the site, lighting and pathways to allow for visitors without disturbing the site, and conservation of the site.

“Armenians, Americans, no matter where you are from, it is ancient cultural sites, like the Areni cave, that help us understand our interwoven history. That is why the U.S. government’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation supports efforts like the preservation work here in Areni,” said Ambassador Mills.

He also announced the latest project to be funded by the AFCP, a USD143,000 grant to continue preservation work at the Dashtadem fortress. In particular, the grant will support archaeological excavations and restoration of the inner surrounding wall of the fortress.

Since 2005, ten sites in Armenia have been funded through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, totaling USD 934,000.