You Distort History!: Passion For Armenian Stonehenge - Alternative View

You Distort History!: Passion For Armenian Stonehenge - Alternative View
You Distort History!: Passion For Armenian Stonehenge - Alternative View

Video: You Distort History!: Passion For Armenian Stonehenge - Alternative View

Video: You Distort History!: Passion For Armenian Stonehenge - Alternative View
Video: Explaining the Complicated History of Armenia’s Borders 2024, March
Anonim

In Armenia, local residents argue with scientists over Stonehenge.

In Armenia, disputes over the local "Stonehenge", which scientists call a burial ground, and some residents call an ancient observatory, do not subside. Dissatisfied with the official position of science, fans of alternative history went from words to deeds.

In Armenia, a group of residents of the Syunik region opposed archaeologists, challenging the purpose of one of the country's most famous landmarks.

Zorats-Karer ("stone army") is one of the most unique archaeological megalithic monuments not only in Armenia, but also in the entire Transcaucasia. Locals also call him Dik-dik Karer or Tsits-Tsits Karer ("Sticking stones").

According to an ancient legend, soldiers are buried under these stones.

It is located in the south of Armenia near the city of Sisian, covers an area of more than 10 hectares and is a complex of an ancient settlement and a necropolis, where not only dwellings were built, but also cromlechs with huge burial chambers of the "stone box" type and rows of vertically standing stones. up to 2.8 meters and weighing up to 5.5 tons.

Some stones have holes at the top. It was these holes that prompted some lovers of alternative history to think that the oldest structure was an observatory and that on the days of the solstice and equinox, the ancient people watched the Sun and the Moon through them.

There were even attempts to link the Armenian megalithic monument with the English Stonehenge, Promotional video:

for which, from the end of the 90s, the monument was deliberately renamed Karahunj (and the architecture is approximately the same, and the names). The evidence to this day is very inconclusive, but the people loved the idea very much. Even the guides introduce tourists to Zorats-Karer as the oldest observatory in the world, dating it to the 8th millennium BC. and older.

Armenian archaeologists have always been skeptical about this point of view, calling Zorats-Karer an ancient settlement with a necropolis, which are found not only in different parts of Armenia, but also in many other countries, but they are not as well preserved as this one. The holes, according to scientists, are made only in order to drag large stones, to tie animals to them.

Since 2014, archaeological excavations have been carried out on the site of the monument in order to shed light on the mystery of the "stone army". On the territory of the structure, burials were found with accompanying equipment (weapons, jewelry, vessels, animal bones). Apparently, the complex was built for the burial of the leader and his entourage. The monument is multi-layered and dates from the 19th / 18th - 4th / 3rd centuries BC.

The functional purpose of this unusual monument has more than once become a reason for disputes and quarrels between archeology amateurs and archaeologists.

The first assumption about the astronomical purpose of the stones was made back in 1984 by the famous astronomer from Byurakan Observatory, academician Elma Parsamyan.

It was she who suggested the name "Karahunj" from the name of the village at a distance of 40 km from the complex.

The idea that Zorats-Karer is an ancient observatory of 7,500 years old was actively promoted by an Armenian physicist, radio astronomer Paris Heruni, as his own in the 1990s. Then the Armenian media presented his "discovery" as a sensation.

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“This age (7500 years) does not correspond in any way to the dating of the material found during excavations. After all, the most ancient object - a shard, which was found here, dates back to the beginning of the second millennium BC, - Ashot Piliposyan from the Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserves, who is conducting excavations at the monument, explained to Gazeta. Ru. - This means that the most ancient artifacts are about 4 thousand years old, no more. This is a very interesting monument, there was a settlement and a necropolis. Our ancestors knew perfectly well where the east is and where the west is, they often watched the stars, but this does not mean that they built observatories.

Zorats-Karer is basically a religious building, and has nothing to do with the observatory."

A few days ago, a group of residents of Sisian and surrounding villages appeared at the excavation site. Disagreeing with the point of view of the head of the excavation, they demanded that the archaeologists immediately collect their belongings and leave the monument: “You invaded our house, distorting history … You launched anti-Armenian activities against the state here, receive foreign grants, launder money. The whole world recognizes that this is an observatory, and you declare that this is an ordinary burial ground. You hinder the development of tourism with your statements.”

A partially excavated “stone box” burial in the Zorats Karera necropolis
A partially excavated “stone box” burial in the Zorats Karera necropolis

A partially excavated “stone box” burial in the Zorats Karera necropolis.

The conflict between local residents, supporters of the astronomical version of the origin of the monument, with archaeologists is not the first time. In 2018, their invasion came at the end of the excavation season, during which new artifacts were discovered, confirming the iconic nature of the site.

Thus, a defensive wall was dug, which runs from north to south and borders the entire settlement from the east. “This is a fortification that protected the settlement from the east, from the most accessible side. Preliminarily, it can be stated that the defensive wall was built either in the last period of the existence of the Urartian state, or in the era of the Achaemenid state (in the 6th century BC). Time and excavations will tell …”, - explained Piliposyan.

General view of the defensive wall from the eastern side of the monument (view from the south) / Partially excavated megalithic orthostatic stone with a hole in the lower part
General view of the defensive wall from the eastern side of the monument (view from the south) / Partially excavated megalithic orthostatic stone with a hole in the lower part

General view of the defensive wall from the eastern side of the monument (view from the south) / Partially excavated megalithic orthostatic stone with a hole in the lower part.

However, the most interesting thing awaited archaeologists during the excavation of the wall itself, in which the burial of a teenager, most likely a girl, was found. In this burial, next to the bones, shards of pottery, a simple bracelet and earrings made of bronze wire were found.

This material dates back to the 7th-6th centuries BC. That is, scientists believe that the found wall was built at about the same time or a little later.

Scientists believe that Zorats-Karer is a very interesting and still not excavated settlement and a large necropolis. To date, about 35 huge burials have been discovered in it, most of which have already been destroyed. However, even looted burials can provide scientists with rich material for research.