8 8 8 ▁he ▁was ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁chem ist ▁at ▁S iem ens ▁& ▁H als ke , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁was ▁station ed ▁at ▁a ▁co pper ▁works ▁facility ▁at ▁K ed ab eg ▁in ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁region ▁of ▁Russia . ▁While ▁based ▁in ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁conduct ▁arch ae ological ▁research . ▁In ▁Armen ia ▁he ▁investig ated ▁its ▁ancient ▁ru ins ▁and ▁made ▁copies ▁of ▁numerous ▁c une iform ▁ins cri ptions . ▁In ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁despite ▁express ▁prohib ition ▁from ▁the ▁Russian ▁authorities , ▁he ▁un ear th ed ▁ 4 5 ▁tomb s ▁and ▁bur ial ▁m ounds , ▁secret ly ▁sh ipping ▁their ▁contents ▁to ▁path ologist ▁Rudolf ▁Vir ch ow ▁in ▁Berlin . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Germany , ▁where ▁he ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁Carl ▁Le h mann - H aupt , ▁a ▁historian ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Berlin . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁with ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁Rudolf ▁Vir ch ow ▁St iftung , ▁Bel ck ▁and ▁Le h mann - H aupt ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁an ▁ 1 8 - month ▁journey ▁that ▁took ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁C au cas us , ▁northern ▁Pers ia , ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁and ▁Turkish ▁Armen ia . ▁On ▁the ▁expedition ▁they ▁discovered ▁new ▁ins cri ptions ▁associated ▁with ▁Ass y rian ▁k ings , ▁and ▁performed