Painted ceramics discovered during excavations at Godedzor
/SEP 3/Aysor, Armenia/
A huge number of fragments of painted ceramics has been discovered during archaeological excavation at the place of Godedzor near Angeghakot village of Syunik province of Armenia. The ceramics of such kind were also found and are paralleled to findings at South and Northern Mesopotamia.
Director of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of National Science Academy of Armenia, chief of the archeological expedition Pavel Avetisian described the findings as `strange facts’ as civilization who settled the territories northern from Arax didn’t practice painting the ceramics and they were used to producing one-colored and black ceramics.
Pavel Avetisian said that discovered painted ceramics are more typical for Iranian pieces, and their homeland is Lake Urmia. In line with the preliminary version of experts, the findings came as result of trade relations. After further exploration of osteological materials there were discovered distorted bones of cattle. Referring to this, Pavel Avetisian said : `Specialists and experts find that the bones were distorted not in result of arable works but in result of going for a long way as pack animals.’
Specialists are hazarding a conjecture that local people here were passing a long was and were using cattle as pack animals : they lived in adjoining to Lake Urmia territory in winters, and moved to the north in summers, told media Pavel Avetisian.
LORI BERD FORTRESS BEING RESTORED
/SEP 6/ARMENPRESS/
A number of valuable things were discovered in the result of the excavations of Lori Berd Fortress, according to Igit Gharibyan, doctor, professor, head of the excavation group. He said at today’s meeting with journalists at the press hall of Armenpress that the Lori Berd had a very powerful defense system and it gave the opportunity to stand up to the enemy for 207 days.
’Our aim is to reveal the defense system as a whole, excavate the area of the bath-house and the so-called church-building and restore them,’ Igit Gharibyan said. He noted that the works are being processed successfully. ’When we opened the outer citadel, it was made clear that we dealt with the construction principle, which was typical for the period of Urartu Kingdom, as the nearby caves were used as structural walls on which the citadel was constructed,’ Igit Gharibyan added.
According to the professor, they revealed a row of quadrate and round towers, which come to prove that the Armenian fortress-builders could synthesize quadrate and round towers and ensure a stronger defense system. Igit Gharibyan says it is a serious achievement by the medieval Armenian fortress-builders. ’The walls of the fortress are 20-25-meters-high and 250-meter-long. The area of the two sides of the walls is currently being excavated,’ said Hakob Simonyan, director of RA culture ministry-affiliated scientific-research center for historical-cultural heritage. He mentioned that they will go on undertaking serious works.
’Due to the excavations we will have the restored variant of one of the magnificent examples of the medieval Armenian fortress-construction,’ he said. Hakob Simonyan noted that Lori Berd fortress may become a tourism center and play a great role in the economic development of the region. A slew of cross-stones and inscriptions were discovered in the fortress. Hakob Simonyan says the head of a statue from Bronze Age was the greatest find.
’By this one can come to the idea that the territory of Lori Berd was populated in the beginning of the millennium. The further findings will reveal the oldest horizons, on the base of which Lore – the northern capital of Armenia – was built,’ Hakob Simonyan added. The excavations, which kicked off 2009, are being conducted upon the initiative of RA culture ministry.
VACHAGAN VAHRADYAN : ’ONE CAN DRAW A LOT OF PARALLELS BETWEEN PORTASAR AND KARAHUNJ ; THE BUILDERS BELONGED TO THE SAME CULTURE’
/SEP 7/ARMENPRESS/
Portasar is a great ritualistic-religious-scientific building, which is situated in the Western Armenia and has 18,500-years-old history. Vachagan Vahradyan, candidate of biological sciences, adviser and chief scientist to the Armenian scientific party of Oxford University’s ’Stones and Stars’ project, said at today’s meeting with journalists that the Turks ascribe the establishment of Portasar to themselves. According to Carl Schmidt, in the Armenian highland the haven was divided into constellations even 12-18 thousand years ago.
Vachagan Vahradyan says the Portasar was built in the eon of Scorpion.
Griffon was painted on the huge building. This one and other resemblances come to prove that Portasar has a lot in common with Karahunj ; the builders belonged to the same culture.
The scientist says the existence of such a monument creates basis for casting doubt on the opinion about the knowledge of the old civilization. Turkey organizes a number of exhibitions, representing the monument as a Turkish one before the world. Vachagan Vahradyan says it is necessary to reach arrangements with Turkey and conduct excavations in Portasar.
ARMENIA MOST ANCIENT ASTRONOMY CENTER IN THE WORLD : SCIENTIST
/SEP 7/Panorama/
Armenia was the most ancient astronomy center in the world, candidate for biological sciences, senior fellow of “Stones and Stars” Armenian expedition group in Oxford University, Vachagan Vahradyan, told reporters today. With over 7500 years’ history, Qarahunj, situated in Syunik, Armenia, served as basis for his conclusion. He said, the recent study allows to claim that the Armenian Qarahunj is even older that the English Stonehenge, claiming about 300 years’ history. Qarahunj is a combination of huge vertical triangular stones.
According to the specialist, both monuments have identical construction. Both have holes directed to the NE and in the past these allowed to find the day which was to mark the beginning of the year.
“This evidences that the constructors had the same culture values and astrology skills. This is of serious and essential significance,” he said. Both Qarahunj and the Stonehenge are observatories. As far as the similarity of the names goes, it’s beyond doubt that the Armenian “qar” (stone) and the English “stone” mean the same.
Scientific research in Qarahunj got underway in 2006 and the materials have been sent to Oxford. British scientists got greatly interested in the monument and a number of researchers are intent to arrive in Armenia from Oxford University next week to carry out 2-week-long study of the complex with the Armenian scientists.
ARMENIAN EPIC HERO’S GRAVE AND OLDEST HORSE BURIAL PLACE FOUND IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
/SEP 7/YerevanReport.com/Eva Sahakyan/
YEREVAN, September 7-Armenian archeologists discovered an ancient burial place of a horse during archeological excavations on the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Hakob Simonian, the director of the Research Center of Cultural and Historical Heritage, told the journalists about this.
According to him, the excavations were found in the Nerkin Naver necropolis, which is 3.5 km to the west of Ashtarak.
“This find dates back to the 26-25th centuries BC, and it’s the oldest burial place of a horse discovered to this day. It has an all-important significance not only for Armenia, but for the whole Western Asia as well,” Simonian said.
The archeological find testifies that Armenians used horses for military purposes. Simonian mentioned that horse is the animal that defined the development of humanity, and its domestication can be associated with the establishment of civilization.
During the excavations in Nerkin Naver, the Armenian archeologists discovered another burial place that resembles the grave of one of the heroes of the famous Armenian national epic poem Sasuntsi David (“David of Sassoon”).
Simonian says that the burial place is surprisingly rich, proper only for heroes. A lion claw was found under the head of the buried man, and according to the epic poem, a lion skin was put under Lion-Mher’s (Aryudz Mher) head. According to Simonian, this find can imply that the epic poem has a real-life basis.
“Expensive arms were also found in the burial place, a valuable saber among them, which is indeed a rarity. One more time this emphasizes the fact that the buried man wasn’t an ordinary man,” Simonian added.
The Nerkin Naver necropolis counts 30 burial places. Seven burial places have already been examined and the excavations of the 8th one are being carried out.
PRESERVATION AND AWARENESS WORKS ARE REALIZED FOR HISTORIC CEMETERY AT NORATUS
/SEP 8/PanARMENIAN.Net/
True to its commitment of supporting activities aimed at preserving and promoting Armenian cultural and historical monuments, VivaCell-MTS continues cooperation with AMAP (Armenian Monuments Awareness Project) as a general sponsor of the Project.
This time, several organizations joined hands for realizing the renovation of the historic cemetery at Noratus and installing multilingual information panels in the territory of this unique historical site. U.S. Ambassador Rs Culture Fund undertook the installation of a protective, decorative fence, two new entrances and electric lighting for protecting the historic quarter. Realizing the importance of promoting tourism in Armenia by creating proper infrastructure for visitors of Armenia, VivaCell-MTS supported the installation of a visitor center and craft center, as well as installation of a walking tour and new information panels on five languages, the press service of VivaCell-MTS reported.
Noratus is an ancient site, with numerous Bronze and Iron Age monuments. It is the largest standing collection of Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) in the world V more than 800 in number, carved between the 9th-17th centuries. SSuch huge accumulation of khachkars on this little piece of land speaks of us as hard working and creative nation. But, what is most important, getting in touch with these valuable works of art gives us powerful energy and proves once more that the most precious thing inherited from our ancestors is culture and historic legacy accumulated in these old khachkars T, said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.
Sponsors of AMAP Rs projects are Armenia Rs leading mobile operator VivaCell-MTS, the Honorary Consul for Italy in Gyumri, the US Ambassadors R Cultural Fund, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and USAID/CAPS.
ARMENIAN QARAHUNGE MEGALITHIC COMPLEX OLDER THAN STONEHENGE
/SEP 7/PanARMENIAN.Net/
Vachagan Vahradian, senior fellow of “Stars & Stones 2010 : Oxford University Expedition to Qarahunge, Armenia”, stated that the research carried out in Qarahunge megalithic complex proved Armenia to be one of the most ancient astronomy centers.
The specialists concluded that Qarahunge (also known as Zorats Karer) is older that Stonehenge.
“Qarahunge can become a unique site attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world,” Vahradian said.