Petroglyphs of Armenia are ancient images, carved on stones and rocks. Traditionally, petroglyphs are called all images on a stone from ancient times up to the Middle Ages.
Today there is an opinion that the territories of Armenia and Asia Minor were among the most ancient centers of origin of astronomical knowledge. Well-known historians of astronomy came to this conclusion. Scientists believe that the people who divided the sky into constellations lived between 36 and 42 degrees north latitude.
The English astronomer Olcott believes that the people who invented the ancient figures of the constellations lived, presumably, in the area around Mount Ararat, as well as in the valley of the Eurat River. This assumption is based on about 30,000 rock paintings found on the territory of Armenia, first on the Geghama Highlands, and then on the Vardenis ridge and on the slopes of Mount Aragats.
Amberd petroglyph
When, in 1967, three more ancient objects were found in the Vardenis mountains, the opinions of the researchers came to the final conclusion that these are stone witnesses of the astronomical thought of distant human ancestors.
Promotional video:
Volcano Ukhtasar
Among the countries of the Ancient East, Armenia stood out for its highly developed level of metallurgy. Copper, bronze, silver, tin, zinc, gold and steel were smelted in Armenia. All this made possible the development of many branches of science, production, culture and art.
Near the Ukhtasar volcano
The petroglyphs found in Armenia depicted hunting scenes, cosmic phenomena, astronomical concepts, constellations, mythical heroes, and animals. There are petroglyphs depicting fantastic animals and people, as well as images of various cults, such as the cult of the Moon, Sun, Snake, Dragon, etc.
Near the Ukhtasar volcano
The oldest astronomical centers in Armenia originate from the Zod gold mines and stretch from the southern shore of Lake Sevan to the regional center Martuni, then turn south and continue along the western slopes of the Vardenis ridge from Martuni to the Selim pass.
Near Mount Geghama
The first and most outstanding such object is a collection of astronomical petroglyphs on the slope of Mount Sevsar in the Martuni region of Armenia. There is a stone, 3 meters by 2 meters in size, on which various signs, celestial bodies and constellations are engraved with a metal cutter.
Near Mount Geghama
In the lower right corner of the stone slab, a circle with a diameter of 90 cm is carved, inside which there is a smaller circle and a spiral. Numerous ray-shaped depressions extend from the circle. There is a depression in the center of the circle, and if you insert a rod into it, the shadow from the rod, sliding along the rays of the circle, will show the time.
Near Mount Geghama
This petroglyph is a sundial dating back 40 centuries or more. Around the stone slab, there are also smaller stones with signs and figures carved on them, which clearly show that the entire complex is an astronomical object.
Near Mount Geghama
Let's go to the road leading to the Selim pass. There are stone slabs, the surface of which is covered with carved circles of various sizes. It is believed that these are stars and planets, as well as constellations.
Near Mount Geghama
Earlier, at a distance of one meter from the "star maps", there was another stone block with the image of the lunar surface. But, unfortunately, it has been lost. Of course, searches in the Vardenis mountains are still ongoing, but even now there is no doubt that the Vardenis ridge was one of the centers of astronomical thought in ancient Armenia.
The nearby Geghama Mountains also have an abundance of astronomical drawings: these are images of the globe, the Sun, the Moon and the Universe. In some rock compositions, the geocentric system of perception of the Universe is clearly visible: in the center is the Earth, and around the celestial bodies.
Intercultural relations between ancient Europe and ancient Armenia:
The creators of rock paintings in Armenia had a rich imagination, as evidenced by the carved images. As a result of the joint Armenian-German research program on ancient petroglyphs of Armenia, a full-fledged Internet database has been created about these rock paintings, which are of unique value and will soon be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.