| HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY IN ARMENIA |  |
Armenia
is one of the cradles of ancient science, and astronomical knowledge was
developed in ancient Armenia as well. Contrary to its small territory and
relatively small population, Armenia was and is rather active in astronomy.
Astronomy in Armenia was popular since ancient times: there are signs of
astronomical observations coming from a few thousand years ago. Among the
astronomical activities that have left their traces in the territory of Armenia
are: the rock art (numerous
petroglyphs of astronomical content), ruins of ancient observatories (two of them, Karahunge and Metzamor
are especially well known; Karahunge
is the Armenian twin of the Stonehenge
and is considered even older), the ancient Armenian
calendar, astronomical terms and names used in Armenian language since
II-I millennia B.C., sky maps from
Middle Ages, and most important, one of the largest
modern observatories in the region, the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) with its
2.6m and 1m Schmidt telescopes.
Read
the most complete information about history of Armenian astronomy in the book:
Toumanian
B.E. 1985, History of the Armenian Astronomy, Publishing House of the Yerevan State
University, Yerevan, 286p. (in Armenian).
ARMENIAN ASTRONOMY IN THE MIDDLE AGES
HISTORY OF THE BYURAKAN OBSERVATORY
Constellations. It is believed that
the division of the sky into constellations was made a few thousand years ago
in the Armenian Highland. According to the German astronomer and historian of
science Olkott, the signs of Zodiac contain such animals that lived many
thousand years ago in the territory of Armenia and around. It is very probable
that ancient people named the constellations after animals living in their
countries rather than known from elsewhere. Moreover, many constellations have
their own Armenian names which were different from the Greek ones, however,
many of them correspond to each other by the meaning.
Read
H.A. Harutyunian’s article about the Armenian name of the Milky Way in ArASNews #6.
Rock art.
Studies of the Armenian rock art present in the territory of modern Armenia (historic
Armenia was ten times larger, having 300,000 square km area) show that the
Armenians were interested in heavenly bodies and phenomena. The Earth, the
Sun, the Moon, planets, comets, Milky Way, stars, constellations are reflected
in these pictures drawn on rocks in mountains around Lake Sevan and elsewhere
in Armenia. These pictures and drawings are being studies by a number of
historians, archaeologists, and astronomers. However, there is not enough
governmental attitudes to organize large-scale studies or at least try to
catalog and preserve these ancient treasures.
Find
the most complete information about the Armenian rock art here.
Contact:
ArAS member Karen
Tokhatyan
Armenian calendar. According to investigations by H.S. Badalian (1970),
B.E. Tumanian (1985), and G.H. Broutian (1997), the Armenian calendar was one
of the most ancient in the world, may be even the most ancient one. Armenians
used Lunar, then Lunar-Solar calendar, and since mid the 1st
millennium B.C. they changed to Solar calendar, which contained
365 days (12 months by 30 days and an additional month of 5 days). The new year
began in Navasard (corresponding to August 11), when the grape harvest was
underway and the constellation Orion (Armenian “Haik”) became visible in the
night sky. Together with the months, all days of any month also had proper
names. The year 2492 B.C. was adopted as the beginning. The Armenian Great
Calendar was introduced in VI century, and the difference with the Julian one
was re-calculated. It is remarkable that the Mkhitarians from Venice are the
oldest publishers of the Armenian and world calendars (since 1775).
Badalian H.S. 1970, History of
Calendar, Publishing House of the
Armenian Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, (in Armenian).
Broutian G.H. 1997, The Armenian
Calendar, Echmiatzin Publishing House,
Echmiatzin, 560p. (in Armenian).
Ancient observatories. The most fascinating historical astronomical building
is Karahunge
(the “Armenian Stonehenge”, the name derives from kar “stone” and may mean “singing stones”; and the other famous name
is Zorats Kar). It is a megalithic assemblage, 200 km from Yerevan, and 3 km
from town Sisian; at an altitude of 1,770 m. The northern latitude is 39. 34’,
and eastern longitude is 46. 01’. It is an assemblage of many stones put in a
circle and a few arms starting from it. As many other such buildings, Karahunge
was thought to be a religious assemblage. However, only in the middle of 1980th, Karahunge was first
interpreted as an archaeoastronomical monument and was studied by Prof. E.S.
Parsamian (1999) and Prof. P.M. Herouni (1998). Estimations give from 7700 to
4000 years for the age of Karahunge.
There are
222 stones with a total extent exceeding 250 metres, including 84 with holes
(with 4-5 cm diameters). Dozens of astronomical stone instruments with accuracy
of 30 arcsec may be found. 40 stones form the central ellipse with 45x36 m
sizes, having a ruined stone-cluster in the centre. There is a 8m wide 8-stone
road to N-E. Some stones were used to find the directions to definite stars. By
some estimations (observations of definite stars), the observatory was used
during 7700-2200 B.C., for about 5500 years. According to many authors (ex.
Bochkarev & Bochkarev 2005), a comparison of the present state of the
monument with its situation a hundred years ago reveals a considerable
degradation. Thus, the monument needs an urgent protection. The monument is
unique of its kind at least in the Trans-Caucasian region and could be even the
oldest known observatory in the world. If the estimated age of Karahunge is
confirmed by archaeological methods, it clearly should be included in the
UNESCO World Heritage list of the most important cultural memorials of our
planet.
Metzamor is the other ancient observatory in Armenia. Metzamor
was an ancient town near river Metzamor, 35 km from Yerevan, in Armavir
province. There was a settlement since V millennium B.C. It was first
interpreted as an archaeoastronomical monument in the middle of the 1960s by
Prof. E.S. Parsamian (1985a). There is an observatory out of the fortress. The
most probably estimation of the age is 4600 years. As Karahunge, Metzamor also
needs a better study and proper attitude both from the Armenian government and
world archaeoastronomical community.
Among the
other archaeoastronomical sites in Armenia, the Angelakot dolmens may be
named (Parsamian 1985b). As Karahunge, this site is also in Sisian region, 13
km from the town of Sisian. The dolmens are from Neolithic and Bronze eras.
There are a few other sites in Armenia that are associated with astronomical
activity of our ancient habitants.
Bochkarev N.G., Bochkarev Yu.N. 2005,
Armenian Archaeoastronomical Monuments Carahunge (Zorakarer) and Metsamor:
Review and Personal Impressions, Proceedings
of SEAC Tenth Annual Conference: Cosmic Catastrophes, held in Tartu, Estonia,
2002, eds. Mare Koiva, Izold Pustylnik, & Liisa Vesik, Tartu, p. 27-54.
Herouni P.M. 1998,
Carahunge-Carenish, a Prehistoric Stone Observatory, Proc. National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Vol. 98, 4, p. 307-328.
Parsamian E.S. 1985. On
Astronomical Meaning of the Small Hill of Metsamor, Communications of BAO, Vol. 57, p. 92-100.
Parsamian E.S. 1985. On Possible
Astronomical Significance of Megalithic Rings of Angelacot. Communications of BAO, Vol. 57, p. 101-103.
Parsamian E.S. 1999, On Ancient
Astronomy in Armenia, Proceedings of the
International Conference Oxford VI and SEAC 1999, ed. J.A. Belmonte, La Laguna,
p. 77-81.
Records of astronomical events by ancient Armenians. Halley’s comet. Coins of Armenian king Tigranes II the Great (95-55 BC), silver and
copper-bronze tetradrachms and drachms, clearly reveal a star with a tail on
the royal tiara which may be associated with the Halley's comet passage of 87
BC. If so, one has another case when astronomical events can be useful for
historical chronological problems, this would be a far earlier record of Halley
in Armenia than was previously known from chronicles and also one of the
earliest known images of Halley's comet.
Gurzadyan
V.G., Vardanyan R.,
Halley's comet of 87 BC on the coins of Armenian king Tigranes? // Astronomy & Geophysics, Vol. 45, No. 4,
p. 4.06, 2004.
ARMENIAN
ASTRONOMY IN THE MIDDLE AGES
One of
the most remarkable scientists in the Middle Ages was Anania Shirakatsi (VII century),
who had rather progressive astronomical ideas for those times. He was the most
important scientist in Armenia, as he was a philosopher, mathematician, geographer,
astronomer, chronologist, etc. He has left a few books and writings that
survived up to nowadays. Many of them are kept in Matenadaran, the museum of
ancient manuscripts. Anania Shirakatsi knew about the spherical shape of the
Earth. He accepted also that the Milky Way consisted of numerous faint stars,
could correctly interpret Lunar and Solar eclipses, and had a number of other
progressive astronomical knowledge for that time. Anania compiled chronological
tables, astronomical textbooks, etc. Anania Shirakatsi’s works serve as the
main source for establishing the ancient Armenian astronomical terminology,
including the names of constellations and stars.
According
to Prof. Pskovskiy, the 1054 Supernova was first seen and
recorded in Armenia in May 1054 (and only later in summer in China). Interestingly,
its remnant, the famous Crab nebula has been studied in detail in the Byurakan
Astrophysical Observatory and was one of its famous objects of investigation.
This nebula has been a natural laboratory for many astrophysical investigations
in various multiwavelength ranges.
Ghukas (Luca) Vanandetsi (XVII-XVIII centuries) and Mkhitar
Sebastatsi (1676-1749) lived and worked in Europe in 17th-18th centuries and are known for
their detailed charts of the heavens. Lukas Vanandetsi made astronomical
instruments, published the first sky chart with Armenian names of constellations
in Amsterdam at the beginning of XVIII century.
Mkhitar Sebastatsi was the person who founded the Armenian Catholic Church
community in St. Lazar island near Venice, a touristic site for many visitors.
Due
to absence of independence for many centuries, Armenia did not have enough high
level of science in the Middle Ages, however, interest in nature and admiration
to heavens lived in Armenians since ancient times, and it became the basis for
appraisal of the modern Armenian
astronomy.
“Astghalits Erkinq” (“Starry Sky”) by Mkhitar
Sebastatsi.
HISTORY OF THE BYURAKAN OBSERVATORY
Byurakan Astrophysical
Observatory (BAO)
Armenian Astronomical Society
(ArAS)
Astronomical Education in
Armenia
Additional information about modern Armenian astronomy is available in:
Mickaelian A.M. 2001, The Armenian
astronomy, EAS Newsletter No. 22, p.14.