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KARKAR HAS GRADUALLY BEGUN TO REVEAL ITSELF
http://karabakh-open.info/en/societyen/2425-en511 Monday, 19 November
2012 15:18
It is two years the Department of Tourism and Historical Environment
Protection adjunct to the NKR government has carried out exploration
activities in the location of the newly discovered town of Karkar.
Karkar is the only medieval town of the province of Artsakh, Mets
Hayk, the name of which is mentioned in Armenian as well as in Arabic
and Georgian sources. We tried to find out how it was discovered and
what results have been recorded during these two years from head of
the expedition examining the monument archeologist Gagik Sargsyan.
- Mr. Sargsyan, first of all how was the citadel discovered and how
did you make sure that it was Karkar?
- In June, 2011, when we were carrying out exploration and sanitation
activities at St. Saribek sanctuary of Dashushen village we made
inquiries among the local inhabitants concerning the famous local
archeological sites. 70-year-old inhabitant of the village Vazgen
Aghajanyan said that in the plateau on the opposite side of the river
Karkar which they call "King's place" ancient walls could be traced out
the stones of which had been used by the inhabitants of Shosh village
as construction material in the 1960s and 70s. We visited the site
accompanied by Aghajanyan and this was the beginning of the discovery
of Karkar, the one-time major town of Artsakh and its second birth.
The town is located between the towns of Stepanakert and Shoushi up
the afforested slope of the military unit on the right side of the
north-south highway.
After the visual examination of the site we found out peculiarities
typical only of a town, such as the large territory occupied by
it /50 ha/, the length of its northern wall /1100 m/, the citadel
surrounded with walls, traces of monumental buildings, handmade
embankments, the system of gravity flow water supply and some other
distinguishing features which prove that the discovered location is
neither a village nor a castle but a real town, the pottery found on
the ground belonged to the early medieval period. A question arises:
what medieval town could be found in this location? The answer to
this question was best substantiated by historian Alexan Hakobyan,
"This is definitely the town of Karkar."
- What can you say about the results of the activities carried out
this year?
- The most important discovery is the heathen temple which, as we know,
is the fireplace of the pagan faith where eternal fire was burning. It
must be distinguished that in the 6th century Artsakh was under the
influence of Sasanian Persia and pagandom was the religion of the
ruling clique which had nothing to do with the people's faith.
It is a unique building, in Armenia only Dvin had a temple of fire
worship, and that was a building made of clay, while this one is
a stone building in a clay-made room. The room is wholly dug into
the land, deep in 2 metres with a long slanting entrance. In all
probability there was another stone building nearby which was pulled
down with a tractor and the temple was filled with building refuse.
The wood coal from the fire place was sent to the radio examination
to find out the real age of the heathen temple.
In the second exploration site we discovered the Cyclopian wall
which belonged to the Stone Age. In one corner of the wall there was
a rectangular room partially covered with paving stone with a stone
hearth in the centre which evidently proves that this is an apartment.
Next to it another room of the same sizes but of economic significance
was discovered with two jammed jars lying out under the walls.
The first exploration site is remarkable for its two round towers
over the northern wall which appear to be quite new constructions
as compared with the wall itself. The ancient Stone Age wall of the
town was cut and the two towers were inserted in which points to the
fact that the town was reconstructed and the old walls adapted to
the early medieval fortification demands.
Among the discovered stuff there must be mentioned the small iron
knife, beads and numerous pieces of pottery with the overwhelming
majority of them belonging to the antique or Stone Age periods. The
discovered pottery include fragments of the small jewellery box,
a small black pot and the handle of a big jar made in the form a
chamois's head. The horns of the latter could not be found while its
mouth and the beard were not damaged.
Thus, the town has begun to reveal itself and we can state for sure
that we deal with a very serious, big and valuable monument. It was
unfortunately destroyed by human beings to use it as a construction
material source, it was mostly damaged when installing the gas pipeline
and planting an artificial forest here.
Karkar was the second Tigranakert of Artsakh for its significance and
its historical role as well as the historical capital of Artsakh and
the ancestor of the NKR present-day capital Stepanakert.
- And how significant is Karkar for you?
- All my life I have been engaged mainly in the search, discovery
and examination of historical monument. Karkar is the greatest,
the most valuable and the most remarkable of the numerous monuments
I have discovered and put in scientific circulation. Karkar is the
logical haven of my professional activity, my pride and joy.
Armine Hayrapetyan
http://karabakh-open.info/en/societyen/2425-en511 Monday, 19 November
2012 15:18
It is two years the Department of Tourism and Historical Environment
Protection adjunct to the NKR government has carried out exploration
activities in the location of the newly discovered town of Karkar.
Karkar is the only medieval town of the province of Artsakh, Mets
Hayk, the name of which is mentioned in Armenian as well as in Arabic
and Georgian sources. We tried to find out how it was discovered and
what results have been recorded during these two years from head of
the expedition examining the monument archeologist Gagik Sargsyan.
- Mr. Sargsyan, first of all how was the citadel discovered and how
did you make sure that it was Karkar?
- In June, 2011, when we were carrying out exploration and sanitation
activities at St. Saribek sanctuary of Dashushen village we made
inquiries among the local inhabitants concerning the famous local
archeological sites. 70-year-old inhabitant of the village Vazgen
Aghajanyan said that in the plateau on the opposite side of the river
Karkar which they call "King's place" ancient walls could be traced out
the stones of which had been used by the inhabitants of Shosh village
as construction material in the 1960s and 70s. We visited the site
accompanied by Aghajanyan and this was the beginning of the discovery
of Karkar, the one-time major town of Artsakh and its second birth.
The town is located between the towns of Stepanakert and Shoushi up
the afforested slope of the military unit on the right side of the
north-south highway.
After the visual examination of the site we found out peculiarities
typical only of a town, such as the large territory occupied by
it /50 ha/, the length of its northern wall /1100 m/, the citadel
surrounded with walls, traces of monumental buildings, handmade
embankments, the system of gravity flow water supply and some other
distinguishing features which prove that the discovered location is
neither a village nor a castle but a real town, the pottery found on
the ground belonged to the early medieval period. A question arises:
what medieval town could be found in this location? The answer to
this question was best substantiated by historian Alexan Hakobyan,
"This is definitely the town of Karkar."
- What can you say about the results of the activities carried out
this year?
- The most important discovery is the heathen temple which, as we know,
is the fireplace of the pagan faith where eternal fire was burning. It
must be distinguished that in the 6th century Artsakh was under the
influence of Sasanian Persia and pagandom was the religion of the
ruling clique which had nothing to do with the people's faith.
It is a unique building, in Armenia only Dvin had a temple of fire
worship, and that was a building made of clay, while this one is
a stone building in a clay-made room. The room is wholly dug into
the land, deep in 2 metres with a long slanting entrance. In all
probability there was another stone building nearby which was pulled
down with a tractor and the temple was filled with building refuse.
The wood coal from the fire place was sent to the radio examination
to find out the real age of the heathen temple.
In the second exploration site we discovered the Cyclopian wall
which belonged to the Stone Age. In one corner of the wall there was
a rectangular room partially covered with paving stone with a stone
hearth in the centre which evidently proves that this is an apartment.
Next to it another room of the same sizes but of economic significance
was discovered with two jammed jars lying out under the walls.
The first exploration site is remarkable for its two round towers
over the northern wall which appear to be quite new constructions
as compared with the wall itself. The ancient Stone Age wall of the
town was cut and the two towers were inserted in which points to the
fact that the town was reconstructed and the old walls adapted to
the early medieval fortification demands.
Among the discovered stuff there must be mentioned the small iron
knife, beads and numerous pieces of pottery with the overwhelming
majority of them belonging to the antique or Stone Age periods. The
discovered pottery include fragments of the small jewellery box,
a small black pot and the handle of a big jar made in the form a
chamois's head. The horns of the latter could not be found while its
mouth and the beard were not damaged.
Thus, the town has begun to reveal itself and we can state for sure
that we deal with a very serious, big and valuable monument. It was
unfortunately destroyed by human beings to use it as a construction
material source, it was mostly damaged when installing the gas pipeline
and planting an artificial forest here.
Karkar was the second Tigranakert of Artsakh for its significance and
its historical role as well as the historical capital of Artsakh and
the ancestor of the NKR present-day capital Stepanakert.
- And how significant is Karkar for you?
- All my life I have been engaged mainly in the search, discovery
and examination of historical monument. Karkar is the greatest,
the most valuable and the most remarkable of the numerous monuments
I have discovered and put in scientific circulation. Karkar is the
logical haven of my professional activity, my pride and joy.
Armine Hayrapetyan