ՄԵԾ ՀԱՅՔԻ ԱՐՑԱԽ ԵՎ ՍՅՈՒՆԻՔ ԱՇԽԱՐՀՆԵՐԻ ԺԱՅՌԱՊԱՏԿԵՐՆԵՐԸ / THE PETROGLYPHS OF SYUNIK AND ARTSAKH PROVINCES OF GREAT ARMENIA

Abstract

The rock carvings of Armenia are of great cognitive importance as a historical and cultural primary source of the pre-literate era, which reflects the deep past in a very pictorial way. These monuments, representing almost all the important spheres of the ancestors' life, have preserved and convey a peculiar picture of their mental activity. Rock art, which arose in Armenia since ancient times, existed as a means of human cognition and communication, carrying out the functions of expressing, accumulating and transmitting information and feelings, thus ensuring the connection of generations, the continuity of life experience, mentality and culture, preserving the wisdom and essence of the past. Armenian rock art is distinguished by a huge number of images, stylistic diversity and rich content, and occupies a special place in the cultural heritage of the Ancient World. In the regions adjacent to the Armenian Highland, ancient petroglyphs are rare, while on the Highlands their high density of distribution, thematic and typological richness is observed. On the territory of Armenia, petroglyphs available for direct study (in situ) have been concentrated in seven main high-mountainous regions: the mountain ranges of Geghama, Vardenis, Teqsar, Syunik, Zangezur, Karvachar and the slopes of Aragats. In the Republic of Artsakh, rock carvings are located in the following places: in Askeran district – on the outskirts of Shushi and near Tandzatap village; in Shahumyan district – on the slopes of Karvachar mountains Porak, Skhtorasar, Harsnakar, Yerakatar, Toli, Lyulpar, at the headwaters of Tartar and Aghavno rivers, on the banks of Tsalk, Sev, Mets and Pokr Al lakes, and west from Eghtsategh village; in Kashatagh district – on the northern slope of Ishkhanasar, near the shore of lake Sevlich. The petroglyphs of the mountains of Artsakh and Syunik are direct evidences that the monuments of rock art throughout the Armenian Highland form a holistic system, where the continuity of the anthropological and cultural picture is clearly traced in space (400.000 km2) and in time (hundreds of thousands of years). At present, a comprehensive study of this heritage based on the principles of Armenian studies and the creation of an electronic database due to modern methods of cartography is of primary importance.