Pavel Avetisyan is currently the director of the Institute of Archaeology & Ethnography, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

Educated at the Yerevan State University (MA in History, 1980), Dr. Avetisyan received his PhD in Anthropology from the Institute of Archaeology & Ethnography, NAS RA, in 2003.  His dissertation was entitled "Chronology and Periodization of the Middle Bronze of Armenia".  For over 20 years, Dr. Avetisyan has directed excavations of a series of archaeological sites in various regions of Armenia:  Bronze Age - Medieval Settlement of Agarak (2001 - present), Bronze Age Cemetery of Nor Oshakan (1997, 2000 - 2002),  Middle Bronze Age Cemetery of Sisian (1998-1999), Bronze – Iron Ages Cemeteries of Aygeshat (1993) and Talin (1985-1989-1991), Bronze – Iron Ages Settlement and Cemetery of Mastara (1984-1990).   In addition, Dr. Avetisyan conducted research in several international expeditions, including the “Joint Armenian – French Excavations at Neolithic Settlement of Aratashen in Ararat Valley” (1999 - present); and the Joint Armenian-American Project for the Archaeology and Geography of Ancient Transcaucasian States (ArAGATS) (1998, 2000, 2002-2003).  In 2000 and 2003 Dr. Avetisyan co-directed the “Armenian-German Joint Project on the systematic archaeological survey in the Syunik region”. Currently, Dr. Avetisyan is co-director of the  Joint Armenian-French expedition at the Chalcolithic site of Godedzor and Joint Armenian-German expedition at the Early Bronze Age site of Tsaghkasar. He has participated in local and international conferences in Armenia, Turkey, Germany, Great Britain and in the US.  Dr. Avetisyan is the author of more than 50 articles and reports, the co-author of three books, and  the editor of a number of publications.  His main areas of research are: Old World Archaeology; Bronze and Iron Age Transcaucasia; Periodization and Chronology of Bronze and Iron Age Cultures of Transcaucasia.  In addition to his research activities, , Dr. Avetisyan lectures at Yerevan State University.