Hartashen Megalithic avenue

After fixing my Armenian flat and a scrumptious breakfast I set out into the farmers' fields nearby where two avenues of stones have been set 3 wide about a meter apart in long rows. Nobody knows who, when or why. So I get curious.

In addition to what is found in Wikipedia, I observe that both sets of rows lean slightly. On the steeper slope more so. I think this is the effect of snow leaning on the stones as the snowpack creeps down the hill during winter. How many years would it take to lean a straight standing stone this much? That might tell us when.

Why? Religious or ceremonial is probably not the reason, I think the work would have been more precise. Astronomical not likely either, the one row clearly closes off the small valley although a small section of stones is buried or moved. The other row points right at the end of the row closing the valley. I also think the work isn't finished, there would have been a full enclosure I'm gathering.

Who? My best guess is they were bored shepherders. When? Maybe a few hundred, maybe a thousand years ago. The idea that this could have been done by ancient tribes from 3000 plus years ago seems unlikely, I think the stones would have been buried deeper. I can still see smaller stones at the base propping up some of the stones.

That was a fun way to spend the first hours of the day.Read more