“Lisitsyan” petroglyph group of the Paytasar archaeological site

🔍 Research history

The petroglyphs, located 2.5 km south-east of the Gegham Mountains Paytasar volcano, were discovered and reproduced by a 21-year-old student, later an art critic, ethnographer and public figure Levon Lisitsyan in 1913.  The latter marked the group site, “Tents of Musa-Beg”, and accurately described the area, the carved stones, distribution carving techniques. He thoroughly analyzed and combined them with animal images of the metal belts hastily characterizing them as an art game and exercise (Lisitsyan 1912-13; Lisitsyan 1972). According to Karen Tokhatyan, despite a slight difference, four of the nine portrays he made, coincide with those produced by archaeologists Harutyun Martirosyan and Hasmik Israelyan, Sandro Sardaryan, architect Suren Petrosyan (Martirosyan, Israelyan 1971, fig. 149, 168; Sardaryan 1979, 88 , 91; Sardaryan 2010, fig. 130, 179, 202; Petrosyan 2005, fig. 4).

Geologists Alexander Demyokhin and Vardges Avetisyan found and photographed petroglyphs most probably in the “Lisitsyan” group of Geghama Mountains on 12 October, 1951 (Avagyan 1993, p. 16). They handed over the photos they took to S.H. Sardaryan. Researching the area in 1963-1964, he published three more images from this group (Sardaryan 1979, 88, 91; Sardaryan 2010, fig. 176, 194).

The petroglyphs of the Geghama mountains, particularly the ones of the “Lisitsian” group, were intimately studied by H.A. Martirosyan in 1966-1971 (Martirosyan 1969, p. 194-200). The eighth published petroglyph of this group, photographed by the archaeologist of his expedition, Rafik Torosyan is also here.  (Tadevosyan 2022, 153, fig. 24; see Martirosyan 1981, page 51 for the image).

1913. Tokhatyan photographed and oriented four of the nine petroglyphs discovered by L. Lisitsyan on the south-western slope of Paytasar on 23 September, 1979: thus he found out the exact location of the petroglyph group he explored in 1913. In addition to the published eight petroglyphs, later, on 7 July, 2011 and 13-14 August, 2022, he registered another 140 ones in the group.

The joint expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the NAS of RA and the Institute of History (Artak Hakhverdyan, Karen Tokhatyan, UAV operator Arnak Khachatryan, Tigran Isahakyan) continued the registration of the petroglyphs in the Paytasar archaeological site “Lisitsyan” petroglyph group on 1 November, 2022. Another 20 petroglyphs were found; and all the petroglyphs, approximately 170, were reported to be in an intact condition.

🧱 Archaeological description

 The petroglyph group is on the western slope of a plateau, not on a high hill compared to the terrain, with a slope of about 10°. There are cromlechs nearby. Remains of likely medieval or modern structures, enclosures were noticed. No aerial archaeological material was observed. One of the highest (2820 m) dragon stones in Armenia is 2 km to the south-east, near the new water line.

🌍 Significance

The Paytasar petroglyph group is a monument of republican significance. It is unique among the Geghama Mountain petroglyphs, representing one of their earliest layers.

📚 Sources

Literature

1. Avagyan L. 1993, Alexander Demyokhin. The great appreciator of the geology of Armenia, Yerevan, “Pedagogue “, 50 pages.
2. Tadevosyan A. 2022, Geghama Mountain petroglyphs according to Rafik Torosyan’s photo archive, Maritime Armenia. Archaeological heritage of Uduri-Etiuni country, Yerevan, “HAI”, pp. 150-161.
3. Lisitsyan L. 1912-13 [appendix to essay on the Garni petroglyphs. autograph, draft, German], NAA, fund 428, list 1, file 46, sheets 1-16.
4. Lisitsyan L. 1972 [From the Rock Paintings of Geghama Mountains], written in 1913, translated from German by G.A. Tiratsyan, LHG, №1, pp. 51-57.
5. Martirosyan H.A. 1969, New monuments of the primitive culture of Armenia, PBU, №3, p. 191-200.
6. Martirosyan H.A. 1981, Geghama mountain petroglyphs, 11, pr. III, Yerevan, “USSR Academy of Sciences”, 128 pages, 40 pictures, 81 pages.
7. Martirosyan H.A., Israelyan H.R. 1971, Geghama mountain petroglyphs 6, pr. II, Yerevan, “USSR Academy of Sciences “, 66 pages, 333 pictures.
8. Sardaryan S.H. 1979, Art of the primitive population of Armenia, Garun, №5, p. 88-91.
9. Sardaryan S. 2010, Petroglyphs of Armenia from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, Yerevan, “Yerevan University”, 242 pages, 205 pictures.
10. Petrosyan S. 2005, Armenian petroglyphs, Yerevan, “Egea”, 244 pages, 648 pictures.

📷 Gallery

1. The position of the “Lisitsyan” group from the south (K. Tokhatyan 20220813_141123)
2. The orthophotoplan of the petroglyph group (A. Khachatryan 20221101_100000)
3. Petroglyph (K. Tokhatyan 19790923 = Martirosyan, Israelyan 1971, fig. 322)
4. Petroglyph (K. Tokhatyan 20110707_142900 = Martirosyan, Israelyan 1971, fig. 180)
5. Three petroglyphs (K. Tokhatyan 20221101_152930 = Sardaryan 1979, p. 88, Sardaryan 2010, fig. 48, 91)
6. Petroglyph (K. Tokhatyan 20220813_141429 = Lisitsyan 1972, p. 53)
7. Petroglyph (K. Tokhatyan 20220813_163336)
8. Petroglyph (K. Tokhatyan 20221101_153038 = Sardaryan 1979, p. 91)
9. Petroglyph (20221101_145500 = Sardaryan 2010, fig. 13)
10. Petroglyph (K. Tokhatyan 20221101_162116 vors net = Martirosyan, Israelyan 1971, fig. 173)
11. Standing dragon stone (K. Tokhatyan 20200816_171402)