Pavol Hnila

Pavol Hnila is a Researcher at the Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies within the Department of History and Cultural Studies at Free University of Berlin. He serves as Project Director for the DFG-funded project 'High Mountains as Cultural Landscapes: Studies on the Interconnection of Pastoralism, Cult, and Climate Change in Prehistoric Armenia', conducting fieldwork in the Armenian Highlands with a focus on Mount Aragats.

Hnila specializes in high-altitude archaeology of the South Caucasus, with particular expertise in vishap stelae (dragon stones) and ritual landscapes. His research integrates traditional field archaeology with archaeometric methods including machine learning for obsidian sourcing, geochemical analysis of stone monuments, and digital elevation model assessment. He examines prehistoric adaptation to mountainous environments through studies of pastoralism, settlement patterns, and cultural responses to climate change.

His publication trends reveal deep engagement with Armenian prehistory, particularly ritual practices surrounding vishap monuments and high-altitude burial sites. Recent work demonstrates increasing methodological sophistication through computational approaches to material culture analysis while maintaining strong field-based documentation of endangered cultural heritage sites across the Armenian Plateau.

Dr. Hnila leads the DFG project team conducting interdisciplinary research in Armenia, supported by student assistant Nikolai Techow. His work involves collaboration with international specialists in archaeometry, geology, and remote sensing to document and interpret high-mountain cultural landscapes.

The research team operates in challenging high-altitude environments of Armenia, focusing on the cultural significance of vishap stelae within ritual landscapes. Fieldwork combines systematic survey, targeted excavation, and scientific analysis to understand prehistoric adaptation strategies, monument construction techniques, and ritual practices in mountainous terrain, with particular attention to preservation challenges facing these unique heritage sites.