204 standing stones with holes that may point to astronomical events. Some aligned to where Deneb and Vega rose 7,500 years ago. If dating is correct, this 'Armenian Stonehenge' predates its British namesake by millennia. Skeptics say the holes are natural.
Shaun Dunphy from Lindfield, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
A complex of stone and controversy
On a windswept plateau 1,770 meters above sea level, the Karahunj site consists of 223 identified basalt stones. These megaliths range from 0.5 to 3 meters in height and can weigh up to 10 tons. They are arranged in several formations, including a central ellipse of about 40 stones, and two long "arms" of stones extending to the north and south. The site covers an area of approximately 7 hectares near the city of Sisian.
Archaeological investigation shows a long history of use. Excavations have uncovered a large burial chamber, or cist, at the center of the main structure, along with more than 200 other graves nearby. A 2000 investigation by archaeologists from the University of Munich concluded that the site was primarily a necropolis, with its main use dating from the Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age (roughly 2000-1000 BCE). Some researchers also suggest that the lines of stones are the remnants of a Hellenistic-era city wall where the megaliths were reinforcements.
The astronomical debate
The debated feature of Karahunj is the collection of holes bored through some of the stones. Around 80 of the megaliths have these circular apertures, which are typically 4-5 centimeters in diameter. The claim that these holes had an astronomical purpose was proposed by Armenian radiophysicist Paris Herouni in the 1990s. Herouni's team concluded that specific holes aligned with the sunrise and sunset on solstices and equinoxes.
His research proposed that 7,500 years ago (around 5500 BCE), certain holes would have pointed directly at the rising positions of bright stars like Deneb and Vega. This date, derived from astronomical calculations accounting for the Earth's axial precession, would make Karahunj thousands of years older than Stonehenge. However, this conclusion is highly contested. Mainstream archaeological dating places the site's primary use much later, the ancient stellar alignments are coincidental. Skeptics also point out that the holes are relatively unweathered compared to the stone surfaces, suggesting they may not be prehistoric. Alternative theories propose the holes were used for transport, for tethering animals, or are the result of natural weathering.
💡Fun Facts
The name Karahunj is often translated from Armenian as "speaking stones" (from *kar* for stone and *hunj* for sound), possibly because the wind creates whistling noises as it passes through the holes.
The site is also known locally as Zorats Karer, which means "Army of Stones."
Paris Herouni's research was acknowledged by Gerald Hawkins, the astronomer who first proposed that Stonehenge was an astronomical observatory.
Many of the stones are directly associated with Bronze Age burial cists, reinforcing the site's identity as a necropolis.
