KARAHOONJ, ARMENIA

 

In the mountains of nowadays Armenia (in the south, close to town Goris), the first observatory Karahoonj (kar-means stone, hoonj-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.

Inside the complex there are 204 main stones. All of them are made of basalt. They rise between a half a meter to 3 meters tall, their bases are up to one and a half meters wide, and they weigh up to ten tons each. Of these main stones, 76 have apertures, 63 are stable, 16 declining, and 90 lying on their sides. 45 are damaged, especially the apertures."

A nation would have to have an advanced society and culture to be able to produce a miracle such as the Karahoonj observatory, similar to Stonehenge, yet dating back some 8,000 years. According to the author, the arrangement of the rock observatory shows an understanding of the universe and the Armenian alphabet, even in those ancient times. Herouni pointed out the similarities of the words Stonehenge and Karahoonj — kar in Armenian meaning stone, and hoonj meaning to sound, or ring . . . and therefore the possibility that the “stone” and “henge” in Stonehenge come from the Armenian word Karahoonj.

LOCATION AND RESEARCH

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 Karahunge (“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 everywhere and was the cradle of Indo-Europeans and Indo- European languages.

Gurgen Vardanyan

Tel. (3749) 333-297

E-mail. vgurgen@freenet.am