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<< Our Photo Pages >> Karahoonj - Stone Circle in Armenia

Submitted by AlexHunger on Saturday, 13 November 2010  Page Views: 17944

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Karahoonj Alternative Name: Zorats Karer, Karahundj, Carahunge, Karahunj
Country: Armenia
NOTE: This site is 29.657 km away from the location you searched for.

Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Goris  Nearest Village: Sisian
Latitude: 39.551630N  Longitude: 46.028960E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : September 2016 (Vote or comment on this photo)
Stone Circle in Armenia. 223 basalt stones of up to 3 meters tall, 84 of them have holes.

According to archaeologists from the University of Munich who surveyed it in 2000, Karahoonj was mainly a necropolis dating from the Middle Bronze Age into the Iron Age (1500 BCE - 300 BCE).

See more information at Wikipedia.

There is also a popular alternative theory that dates it to 5500 BCE based on stellar alignments.

Note: CNN International Explores the Secrets of (what they predictably call) "Armenia’s Stonehenge"
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Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : karahunge , Site in Armenia (6 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : Site in Armenia (Vote or comment on this photo)

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : karahoonj Site in Armenia. photo made in march 2010 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : karahoonj Site in Armenia. photo made in march 2010 (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : Site in Armenia, Karahunge Hole Stone

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : karahoonj Site in Armenia. photo made in march 2010

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : Karahoonj Information board at the site.

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : Karahoonj Information board with site map of the stone ring around the central grave and the stonerow at the site.

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : carahunge, Site in Armenia

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by Rich32 : This rather wonderful site in Armenia seemingly has a dozen or so names. Image captured on a dull morning in August 2010. Walking around the site in poor lighting, some of the silhouetted stones looked like hooded figures.

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : One stone with a nice view of the moon through its hole when I visited in September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by annaa : Site in Armenia

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : karahoonj Site in Armenia. photo made in march 2010

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : carahunge, Site in Armenia

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by KaiHofmann : Carahunge, Site in Armenia

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : One of the larger stones. September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : An interestingly shaped stone. September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : View of part of the central circle which surrounds the cairn. September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : Stone number 53 with an interesting horned shape and a observation hole. September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : The moon in alignment with this stone. September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : It has been suggested that the holes are for astronomical / astrological observations. September 2016

Karahoonj
Karahoonj submitted by DrewParsons : Burial chamber close to the alignment - one of many in the area. September 2016

These are just the first 25 photos of Karahoonj. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 3.0km S 189° Qaradaran Museum* Museum
 4.8km SSE 156° Sangyar-Qaraberd Stone Row / Alignment
 15.1km N 8° Ughtasar* Rock Art
 59.6km WNW 295° Tanahati* Early Christian Sculptured Stone
 64.4km WSW 239° Duzdag Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
 73.4km WNW 286° Areni-1 Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter
 76.5km NW 324° Khrber Ancient Village or Settlement
 80.9km NW 326° Odzaberd Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle
 81.0km WNW 303° Selim Caravansarai* Ancient Trackway
 81.1km NW 326° Inscription of Tsovinar Rock Art
 82.5km W 273° Ovchular Tepe Ancient Village or Settlement
 89.6km NW 306° Bullhead Vishap Standing Stone (Menhir)
 106.0km NW 320° K'anaker* Stone Circle
 121.7km NW 307° Geghard Petroglyphs Rock Art
 122.3km WNW 303° Geghard monastery* Ancient Cross
 123.8km NW 308° Geghard Petroglyphs 2 Rock Art
 126.4km NW 322° Berdunk Urartian Fortress Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle
 127.3km WNW 300° Garni temple* Ancient Temple
 129.5km WNW 287° Khor Virap* Early Christian Sculptured Stone
 130.1km WNW 287° Artashat Ancient Village or Settlement
 136.1km WNW 301° Voghjaberd Caves Cave or Rock Shelter
 140.2km NW 304° Aramus Ancient Village or Settlement
 140.9km NW 319° Lchashen Bronze-Age complex Ancient Village or Settlement
 142.3km N 351° Tatarly Stone Age settlement Ancient Village or Settlement
 143.1km WNW 298° Erebuni Ancient Village or Settlement
View more nearby sites and additional images

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The Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone - Sally Beamish

The Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone - Sally Beamish

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"Karahoonj" | Login/Create an Account | 16 News and Comments
  
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Re: Mystery of the Armenian Stonehenge could soon be solved by AngieLake on Thursday, 01 August 2019
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Is there anything new in this Daily Mail article today?:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7309577/Mystery-Armenian-Stonehenge-built-7-500-years-ago-soon-solved.html

Opposing research institutes have agreed to set aside their disputes over the nature of the so-called 'Armenian Stonehenge' to solve its mysteries for once and for all.

Made up of 223 stones, Carahunge has been argued to predate Wiltshire's Stonehenge by 2,500 years — but its purpose has long been a bone of contention.

Although some archaeologists have argued that the prehistoric site was used as an astronomical observatory, others contend it was just a conventional settlement.
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Unraveling the Mystery of the “Armenian Stonehenge” by Runemage on Monday, 28 August 2017
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Interesting article in the Smithsonian. It appears there is controversy about the site's age and name as well as its function. Traditional and modern beliefs are also in opposition, creating yet more intrigue about this site.
For more information, please see the article in The Smithsonian dated July 27, 2017 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/unraveling-mystery-armenian-stonehenge-180964207/

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    Re: Unraveling the Mystery of the “Armenian Stonehenge” by davidmorgan on Monday, 28 August 2017
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    I think this site should have Zorats Karer as its main name. Karahunj is obviously a very "alternative" one.
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    Re: Unraveling the Mystery of the “Armenian Stonehenge” by davidmorgan on Thursday, 31 August 2017
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    I've just been looking into the naming of this. The Armenian government decided to rename it from Zorats Karer to Karahundj in 2004, probably for political and touristic reasons (political because the original name, Ghoshun Dash, is a Turkic expression meaning Stone Army which was translated to Armenian as Zoratz Karer; and touristic because they liked the idea of associating it with Stonehenge).

    "The name “Karahundj” was given by astrophysicist Elma Parsamian who noticed the similarity between the name of a nearby village named Karahundj and a famous monument in England which has also been identified with ancient astronomy." - http://www.armenianheritage.org

    So, I'll leave it as it is.

    P.S. Incidentally, as part of my "research" I found a great youtube video about pronunciation/phonetics from the English Language Club.
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Study claims Carahunge stone circle complex dates to 5500BC by Andy B on Saturday, 18 February 2012
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A study into Armenia's Carahunge stone circle complex, has shown that it is arguably one of the oldest known megalithic sites outside of Turkey, dating to around 5500 BC. Moreover, investigations by Russian prehistorian Professor Paris Herouni indicate that Carahunge (car means "stone" in Armenian, and hunge means "voice" or "sound"), located some 200km from the Armenian capital Yerevan, not far from the town of Sisian, was created as an astronomical observatory marking the movement not only of the sun and moon, but also the stars.

For more on Professor Herouni's discoveries at Carahunge, read the article by Armenia Now reporter Gayane Mkrtchyan, lower down this page

http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/articles/carahunge.htm

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Karahoonj by Aluta on Friday, 17 December 2010
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Have you had extra hits on this since they talked about it on Ancient Aliens last evening? They made it look pretty interesting.
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Re: History of Carahunge by KaiHofmann on Wednesday, 01 December 2010
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the access is 5
the accuracy is 4
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Re: History of Carahunge by MikeGreen on Wednesday, 17 November 2010
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Well! 223 is an interesting number as there are 223 lunations in a saros.
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History of Carahunge by Andy B on Saturday, 13 November 2010
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Around 200km from Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia, not far from the town of Sisian, there is a Prehistoric Monument consisting of hundreds of Standing Stones on a territorial area of approximately 7 hectares.
Many of these stones have smooth angled holes of 4 to 5cm in diameter, the angles of the holes being directed at different points on the horizon and outer space.

Professor Paris Herouni, a member of the Armenian National Academy of Science and President of the Radiophysics Research Institute in Yerevan, has undertaken a series of scientific expeditions, starting from 1994 (four days each occasion), the timing of these expeditions being at equinox and solstice days. The objective of this research was to investigate and try to solve the mysteries of this Monument.

During these expeditions, the following tasks were achieved:
• 223 Stones were numbered, 84 of which were found to have holes;
• the exact topographical map of the Monument was prepared;
• the latitude, longitude and magnetic deviation of the site was measured; and
• many unique astronomic instruments consisting of one, two or three Stones were identified, and using these, many observations of the Sun, Moon and stars at their rising, setting and culmination moments, were made.

Research to date has established that the name of the Monument was carahunge (“Speaking Stones”). The age of Carahunge has been estimated to be 7500 years or older (VI millennium BC). This was accurately ascertained by taking readings of the motion of the Sun, Moon and stars, using four independent astronomical methods based on the laws of the changes of the Earth’s axis precession and incline.

The period when Carahunge’s activities took place was also calculated, this being a period of more than 5500 years. It was also demonstrated that the main functions of Karahunge were:
1). to serve as the temple of AR (Sun) – The Father and Main God of the Armenians;
2). to provide protection through TIR, the old Armenian God of science;
3). to play the role of a large and sophisticated Observatory (the North and South stone Arms); and
4). to serve as a University.

(The Armenian scientists of old, during the time of Carahunge, could accurately measure latitude; knew that the Earth was ball-shaped; that its radius was equal to 6300km; had an accurate calendar, etc). These scientists also planned and were involved in the implementation of other well known ancient Monuments, such as the Great Pyramid in Egypt (3000 years “younger” than Carahunge); Stonehenge in England (3500 years “younger”); and others. Many of these Monuments retain until now, a link with the original Armenian name, e.g. Stonehenge, which has the same connotation as Carahunge, because “stone” in Armenian is “kar” and “henge” (a word which is absent in English) is the same “hunge” (voice, sound, echo in Armenian).Another example is Callanish in Scotland (Luis island in North Gebrids), because “kal” = “car”, “nish” in Armenian is “sign” and Luis is “light”. The same principle applies to the name given to the standing Stones in Carnac in Brittany (France), in Egypt, etc.

Finally, it must be very interesting to our readers that many of the world’s well known ancient Monuments were built in definite and equal latitudinal distances from Karahunge. For example, the latitude difference between Karahunge and Stonehenge is about +10°; Karahunge and the Great Pyramid is about –10°; between Carahunge,Kallanish and the oldest Egyptian observatory and Temple of the Principal God RA (AR), near present Assuan, is ±16°.Armenian scientists of old knew mathematics, geometry, written language, astronomy, philosophy, etc. There were laws and order in existence, and Armenia was a Kingdom with dynasties. Carahunge confirms that Armenia was the first civilization on Earth, propagated knowledge and kindness ever

Read the rest of this post...
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Re: CNN International Explores the Secrets of "Armenia’s Stonehenge" by Andy B on Saturday, 13 November 2010
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CNN International Explores the Secrets of by Andy B on Saturday, 13 November 2010
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A stone circle located high in the highlands of Southern Armenia may in fact be the oldest stone observatory in the world, predating England’s Stonehenge. According to newly started excavations, the Armenian Stonehenge (Karahunj) has a history of 7500 years. It’s discovery has sparked a scientific debate in astronomical and astrological circles. Yerkir Media’s Gayane Avetisyan reports on the story for CNN World View.

http://asbarez.com/88327/cnn-international-explores-the-secrets-of-armenias-stone-henge/


With thanks to Angie Lake
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    Re: CNN International Explores the Secrets of by Andy B on Saturday, 13 November 2010
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    "Armenia’s Stonehenge" - well at least it's a circle, actually made of stone and has a seemingly clear astronomical function this time so it's kind of more justified than the usual XXX's Stonehenge!
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Re: Book on the Prehistoric Monument of Carahunge by battlemage on Thursday, 18 March 2010
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The Zorats Karer (Zorats stones) date back to the second millennium B.C. According to the scientific consensus today, the arrangement of stones was most probably meant for astronomical observation. Zorats Karer or Karahunj (Armenian Stonehenge) is situated 3 km north of Sisian. The site consists of hundreds of vertically constructed boulders situated in a deliberate arrangement covering over 3 hectares. At first glance they appear to be randomly scattered but aerial views reveal a surprisingly precise arrangement of these giant stones. Although their exact purpose is unknown, some opinions as to the function of the Zorats stones are a temple to the god of the sun, an astronomical instrument, or an ancient university. Constructed over 6000 years ago, the Zorats stones site was a place of activity for 4000 years until Armenia’s adoption of Christianity.
In total, there are 203 stones, 76 of which have 5-7 cm diameter holes bored through them. Sixty three stones stand upright, 16 on an angle, while 90 lay flat. The largest of the boulders weigh more than 50 tons and were hauled from a quarry situated several kilometers away.

http://www.armeniainfo.am/sites/?section=other_desc&page=1&site_id=17
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Book on the Prehistoric Monument of Carahunge by Andy B on Saturday, 02 May 2009
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In the mountains of nowadays Armenia (in the south, close to town Goris), the first observatory Carahunge (Car-means stone, hunge-means voice, sound) was created. It has a history of 7.500 years and scientists believe, that there is a tight connection between the observatory in Armenia and Stonehenge in Britain, since the latter is much younger (about 4000 years) and the name itself is similar to the Armenian name and the second half of the name (hange) does not really mean anything in English.

The latest book " ARMENIANS AND OLD ARMENIA " written by Professor Paris Herouni explains the exact interworkings of this great monument and proves the date at which this observatory was built and used by an advanced civilization. This book is over 270 pages in which detailed explanations are given about how this observatory was used. The book also explains about old world Armenia and the history.

Prehistoric Monument of Carahunge

This Prehistoric Monument consisting of hundreds of Standing Stones on a territorial area of approximately 7 hectares.
Many of these stones have smooth angled holes of 4 to 5cm in diameter, the angles of the holes being directed at different points on the horizon and outer space. The age of Carahunge has been estimated to be 7500 years or older (VI millennium BC). This was accurately ascertained by taking readings of the motion of the Sun, Moon and stars, using four independent astronomical methods based on the laws of the changes of the Earth’s axis precession and incline.

http://www.carahunge.com
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Armenian links to Stonehenge explored by Anonymous on Saturday, 02 May 2009
The story of Stonehenge and the mystery that surrounds it is familiar to most Salisbury residents, but one man has come to the city to tell people about an ancient circle of standing stones which pre-dates even Wiltshire’s World Heritage site.

Vardan Levoni Tadevosyan is an Armenian/Spanish historian of the occult who visited Salisbury last week to raise the profile of Carahunge, dubbed the Armenian Stonehenge.

He said: “It’s a very important monument, not just for Armenia, but for the whole world.”

Carahunge, meaning ‘speaking stones’, is located 200km from the Armenian capital Yerevan, near a town called Sisian. There are over 200 stones on the seven-hectare site and many of the stones have smooth angled holes in them, directed at different points in the sky, leading scientists to believe it is the world’s oldest observatory, dating back 7500 years.

Mr Tadevosyan is very passionate about wanting people to know more about Carahunge and has his own theories on its links with Stonehenge.

His research of the last four years is based on the work done by Professor Paris Herouni, a member of the Armenian National Academy of Science and president of the Radiophysics Research Institute in Yerevan.

Prof Herouni started investigating Carahunge more than 20 years ago and wrote a book, Armenians and Old Armenia, on his findings. He sent the book to Prof G.S. Hawkins, who had investigated Stonehenge, and he agreed with Herouni’s findings.

Mr Tadevosyan says that in neolithic times the Armenians were much more advanced than most other cultures. A carving found on rocks near Lake Sevan showed they knew the world was round, they could accurately measure latitude, and they were already skilled in astronomy, archaeology and engineering.

He believes the earliest population of Britain, who came from Armenia, brought the ideas of Carahunge to Europe with them and played some part in the creation of Stonehenge and other European sites.

He plans to put together a leaflet about Carahunge that can be available to the public at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and curator Adrian Green said he would be happy to display leaflets about the ancient site.

“I have a passion about it because the world has a not nice attention on Armenia. I want to publicise Armenian monuments and culture,” said Mr Tadevoysyan.

Source:
Salisbury Journal
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/journalnewsindex/4112126.Armenian_links_to_Stonehenge_explored/
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