Despite intensive study, the socioeconomic and political structuring of the Southern Caucasus Kura-Araxes cultural tradition remain poorly understood. Here, the authors explore the results of integrated geophysical survey and excavation at Artanish 9 in the Lake Sevan highlands (Armenia). They document a small, densely built site enclosed by monumental walls—an anomaly in highland Kura-Araxes settlement systems—offering new insights into sociopolitical diversity. Through examination of spatial organisation, architecture and storage facilities, Artanish 9 reveals the adaptive strategies of highland communities and the complexity of Early Bronze Age settlement systems in the Southern Caucasus.