The Armenian Ancestral Homeland

[Hovik]

(slide 4) This is about our two ancestors. Look at that very carefully! What do you see? You see a tree. On the left over here, you see a woman on a throne. On the right, you see a man with horns on his hat (which indicates deity in Sumerian mythology). And you see a snake behind the woman. It's interesting also to notice that there are seven branches on this tree and that it has fruits dangling from it. Mind you, this isn't a made-up image; it isn't somebody's fictional idea of Adam and Eve. This is a Sumerian cylinder seal impression. It's a genuine artifact from the ancient Near East. It's extra-biblical. And if you want to see it with your own eyes, you'll find it in the British Museum.



(slide 5) And this is our canvas for the first part of the talk. It is in this area we're going to try and paint a history of Genesis and the history of the development of civilisation. In particular we are going to concentrate on the two famous rivers, Tigris and Euphrates and the sources of those two rivers in this mountainous region which the classical writers called Armenia. In our time, Armenia moved slightly northward. This is also the region we call today Azerbaijan. And this, of course, is also the region called Western Iran or Iranian Azerbaijan - it has all those names. I'm going to take you into this region here to have a closer look at it. I think that there are some interesting things we will find.

Source:

http://www.british-israel.ca/Eden.htm

[Hovik]

Some Links

http://archaeology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://home.uchicago.edu/%7Eatsmith/

PROJECT ARAGATS

http://www.projectdiscovery.net/

http://archaeology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.umich.edu/%7Ekelseydb/Exhibits/DangerousArchaeology/MainDangerous.html

http://www.theoutlaws.com/unexplained10.htm

http://www.accuracyingenesis.com/ararat.html

[Hovik]

Burying History: Scientists say Syunik region sites are being destroyed, instead of preserved

By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter


A joint Armenian-American-British archeological expedition has found another example of the destruction of ancient Armenian monuments. This time, though, it is neither in Georgia nor in Azerbaijan (where monuments and churches have been destroyed), but in the Syunik marz of Armenia.
{ai110601.jpg|left}In the village of Shaghat, 22 kilometers from the town of Sisian, the archeologists from the Institute for Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, University of Michigan and the Sheffield University in England discovered a rich archeological material while at a test excavation in 2004. The detailed examination of the finding was planned for 2005.

But when the expedition returned to the village it found the 1 hectare territory totally ruined by bulldozers.

“The smallest piece of clay or stone of archeological interest is very important to us, so can you imagine what it means turning a hectare of territory upside down,” says archeologist, Professor Susan Alxxxx, regretfully pointing out to the pieces of decorated vase of Bronze Age that has narrowly escaped the bulldozer.

Numerous monuments with cultural layers typical of different ages were found during the excavations on a territory of approximately 5 square kilometers in Shaghat and neighboring Balak.

“We are especially interested in the discovered settlements of Middle Bronze Age,” says senior scientist Mkrtych Zardaryan from the Institute for Archeology and Ethnography of the NAS. “There are many tombs that have been preserved from those times, but this is the only settlement until now discovered in the Middle East,”

But rather than a fertile ground from which scientists might embellish history of the region, the site is being turned into a cemetery.

Shaghat village head Hovik Mkhitaryan turned the tractors loose on the property to clear it for a graveyard, because the land in shifting in the village’s old one. (Some charge, too, that the sudden interest in creating a new cemetery comes suspiciously close to election time, when the village head might need to curry favor among voters.)

“I addressed the government for allotting land under the new cemetery. I have not done anything illegal. Moreover, I have suffered damages myself – who should pay for the fuel for my car?” says Mkhitaryan.

According to Mkhitaryan he has proper permission by the government of RA. But the map, reduced several times on the submitted document, does not show the ruined territory at all.

According to Hrahat Hakobjanyan, representative of the Syunik regional Service for Preservation of Historical Monuments, the Shaghat case happened due to a lack of proper mapping of monuments.

Karen Tunyan, head of the Sisian regional branch of State Cadastre said new maps have been received only two weeks ago including “territories under state protection” highlighted with green.

“But the lack of indication on the map also has no justification, for the head of the village is responsible for being aware of each stone in his community; besides the head of the village himself used to dig here and there with a spade in his hand in search of treasures, like all the rest of the village. That is to say, they knew clearly there were old settlements in the territory,” says Hakobjanyan.

Syunik has long been known as a region rich in ancient historical remains, including a citadels settlement from the time of fifth-century Prince Andovk Syuni.

“The northern slope and the foot of Shaghat are constantly destroyed by the residents; time after time people decide to find the treasures of Prince Andovk Syuni. People must understand that these old settlements and the castle are more precious than the imaginary treasures,” says Mkrtych Zardaryan.

According to him the Shaghat case is one among hundreds.

An Armenian-French archeological expedition making excavations in the Inner Godedzor ancient settlement in the village of Angeghakot 13 kilometers from Sisian also has problems since part of the ancient settlement territory is a stone mining area.

“We learnt about the ancient settlement in 2003 when the cultural layers were destroyed during mining. Fortunately, our expedition was working in the neighborhood. The test excavations showed that we deal with an interesting settlement of late Copper and Stone Age,” says senior scientist of the Institute for Archeology and Ethnography of the RA NAS Pavel Avetisyan.

Archeologists from the Maison de l'Orient at Lyon University and the Institute for Archeology and Ethnography of the RA NAS found ceramics belonging to the Obeyid culture of the 5th millennium here.

According to Avetisyan the close ties between historic Armenia and Mesopotamia and Syria are proved for the first time by material facts, although it has been mentioned in historical documents for many times.

The upper layer of the ancient settlement has disclosed for the first a settlement of late Eneolithic era that has served as grounds for the creation and the development of Kura-Arax culture in these territories.

“The Kura-Arax culture is a huge cultural phenomenon of early Bronze Age of 4-3 millennia BC typical to northern and sout Caucasus. Until today its origins and hotbed of formation were not found,” says Avetisyan.

Archeologists are concerned that these and other important archeology sites are being carelessly destroyed.

“We have appealed to all proper bodies, the case is in the marz prosecutor's office, but the stone mine works day and night,” says Avetisyan. “This is a state crime before everybody’s eyes."

Michigan University professor John Cherry who has worked in Greece, Turkey, Italy and other countries, says it is too bad that the Armenians show such disregard for the riches of their own past.

“As far as I know, they try to develop the tourism industry here and such monuments are the best means to do that. Syunik is almost not studied and is very rich in historical monuments,” Cherry says. “If it continues this way many ancient settlements may be destroyed without being studied.”

http://armenianow.com/?action=printable&AID=1106&CID=1290&lng=eng&PHPSESSID=9389099bb8c03e1d049b729941e88aea

[Hovik]

Armenian Archaeologists Find Large Ancient Settlement Of Early Bronze Age

ARMENIAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND LARGE ANCIENT SETTLEMENT OF EARLY BRONZE AGE



YEREVAN, 16.11.05. On the western slopes of Aragats, near the village of Tsakhkasar, archaeologists got on the tracks of an ancient settlement of the Early Bronze Age (the fourth millenium BC) referring the Archaeological Culture Kur-Araks. Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Aram Kalantaryan, told ARMINFO. The monument is unique for its unprecedented scale of an ancient settlement. It occupies a territory of about 100 ha, while the Kur Araks lowland towns are known to occupy not more than 10 ha. The settlement was surrounded with cyclopean fortress. Archaeologists have excavated a 300 sq/m ancient cultural layer so far and found a unique bronze reaping-hook. Unfortunately, irrigation canals were laid there yet in 1930, which has partially damaged the monument.

Kalantaryan said that an Armenian-American joint expedition near the village of Gegharot, on the northern slope of Aragats, found another unique monument of the Late Bronze Age - a sanctuary of the 15th-12th centuries BC. He called the find `a real fount of the ancient material culture of Armenia`. The sanctuary is unique for the latest such complex found by archaeologists in the village of Metsamor belonged to later period. Archaeologists found a woman`s breast bronze decoration and semiprecious stones, including a cut rock crystal.

Kalantaryan also informed ARMINFO of another find, an ancient pagan temple of Antic Age on the bank of the Araks near the ancient town of Artashat. Archaeologists suppose it was the very temple the Armenian chroniclers Movses Khorenatsi and Agatangeghos wrote about in their works on Grigor Lusavorich. Kalantaryan expressed satisfaction that for the first time since the independence of Armenia the state budget for 2006 envisages funds for archaeological excavations. While, the present season was partially financed from the governmental reserve fund.

http://www.arminfo.am

ARMINFO
2005-11-16 10:53:00

[Hovik]

[maral_m79]

Very interesting articles Hovik, Thank you very much for sharing.

[Hovik]

So the "BIG ARMENIA" that you are dreaming of will include the REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA of today + EASTERN and SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA + AZERBAIDJAN + NORTH IRAN, is it? I'm sorry to disappoint you but your DREAM is ridiculous and IT WILL NEVER COME TRUE.

Milo, the purpose of this thread is not to "dream" but to show evidence of Armenia's ancestral heritage on these lands...

I'll tell you one thing your attitude better do a 360 degree change right away or you won't last in this forum...

[Kharpert]

I'll tell you one thing your attitude better do a 360 degree change right away or you won't last in this forum...

Ummm....I think you mean 180 degrees.

Oh, and Milo, that's an excellent way to miss the point.

[Hovik]

Ummm....I think you mean 180 degrees.

Oh, and Milo, that's an excellent way to miss the point.

lol, last night was a rough one

180 would be better...

[Hovik]

Comparison of Armenian Ecclesiastical Buildings in Turkey before Genocide and now...

In his book From the Holy Mountain, British writer William Dalrymple notes that a survey by the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1914, on the eve of the genocide, counted 210 Armenian monasteries, 700 monastic churches, 1,639 parish churches for a total of 2,549 ecclesiastical buildings. A survey done in 1974 of 913 buildings with still-known whereabouts found that 464 had disappeared, 252 were in ruins, and 197 were in sound shape.

Dalrymple also cites repeated examples of official neglect or outright Turkish destruction of Armenian antiquities, such as medieval Armenian cross stones (khachkars), or the of deliberate sabotage of Armenian churches.

Many Armenian scholars are certain the destruction of their cultural heritage is a deliberate Turkish effort to erase their past, which accelerated after Turkish diplomats were killed in the 1970s. "Soon there will be virtually no evidence that the Armenians were ever in Turkey," the curator of the Armenian Museum in Jerusalem told Dalrymple. "We will have become a historical myth."

-Rudy Brueggemann

http://www.rudyfoto.com/armeniastory.html