Areni-1 cave complex, Archaeological cave complex in Vayots Dzor province, Armenia

Areni-1 is a karst cave of three halls in the limestone of the Arpa River's left bank, entered through a narrow fissure about 30–35 m above the road. Its area is given as 400 to over 600 m², with side galleries and passages partly walled up in antiquity; black-coated vaults overhang the interior. Excavations at the entrance exposed buildings, a paved courtyard and adobe floors, and a rear storeroom with jars sunk into the deposits.

The cave was first described scientifically by archaeologist Boris Gasparyan, and excavations have run since 2007 under Gasparyan, Grigor Areshyan and Ron Pinhasi, with over 12 institutes from 9 countries taking part. Radiocarbon dates place the Chalcolithic layers at roughly 4300–3500 BCE, with the earliest cultural layer in the 6th–5th millennia BCE and the latest in the 12th–14th centuries CE. The 5th-century historian Yeghishe knew the site as Arpanyal, a fortified point controlling the gorge between the Sharur plain and Vayots Dzor.

The cave served as an ancient winemaking center, visible through the presses and storage vessels left behind in its chambers. This reveals how people organized their daily work and food production in this remote location.

The cave entrance is a narrow fissure in the limestone on the left bank of the Arpa, reached by a 30–35 m climb up a steep slope from the road, about 12 km from Yekhegnadzor. The interior has several corridors and passages, some walled up in antiquity, and soot-blackened vaults overhead. The site lies at roughly 1,080 m above sea level.

Inside the cave lies one of the world's oldest known leather shoes, preserved for over 6,000 years in the naturally cool environment. This discovery reveals how skilled ancient craftspeople were at creating durable items that survived the passage of millennia.