Petroglyphs of the Geghama Range

Location: Geghama Range
Foundation date: VII millennium BC e.
Altitude: 2800-3000 m.
Condition: Good
From Yerevan: 40km/50min

Geghama Mountains are situated between Yerevan city and Lake Sevan. The highest point is Mount Gegh (Ajhdahak) – 3597m. The range lies from North-North-West to South-South-East. 2800-3000 m high mounts and volcanic cones (Ajhdahak, Spitakasar, Nazeli Sevkatar, Armaghan ) make up Geghama Mountains.

Petroglyphs are the most ancient and integral archaeological materials, popular today in the territory of Historic Armenia. Petroglyphs of Armenian Highlands with their completeness, performance techniques, huge number of symbols and variety of themes do not have analogs in other countries. At the same time, some peculiarities of Armenian illustrations allow to assume that they were used as writing, and the integral compositions had spiritual and ritual meaning.

Idols, spread on the Armenian Highland reached the highest degree of development in the late Bronze and early Iron Ages. Veneration of sun had central meaning in the worldview of those times.

Within illustrations of Geghama Mount various species of wild animals, a huge number of large and small groups and their diversity are especially noteworthy. There are illustrations of extinct animals, as well as modern ones. They include: the wild cattle (or cow), white deer, lions, cheetahs, domesticated wild horses, foxes and wolves, many kinds of dogs, leopards, hares, wild boar, lynx, and several species of small animals as well as different types of reptiles, ducks, geese, storks, swans, partridges. Many of these species still live in Geghama Mountains.

Illustrations in Geghama Mounts are studied more in detail and the chronology is more definite. There are three-four thousand pictures, done in different times and difficult purposes. They, despite the conventional forms, are interesting with the generalized forms of expression, reproduction of dynamic nature, strict criticism, and applied nuances.