SHIRAK CENTER FOR ARMENOLOGICAL STUDIES NAS RA
SHIRAK CENTER FOR ARMENOLOGICAL STUDIES NAS RA
Supervisor: Benik Vardanyan (Ph.D. in Histօry)
Archaeological research was carried out in the Shirak Center for Armenological Studies within the framework of three programs:
1. Ancient settlements and burial grounds of Shirak (1997-2000).
2. The material culture of Ani according to the newly discovered archaeological monument (2001-2004).
3. Archaeological studies of Shirak (from 2005up to now).
1. "Ancient settlements and burial grounds of Shirak"
Within the framework of the theme, the Benyamin settlement, as well as the burial grounds of Benyamin, Karmrakar, Arapi, Vardbagh, Haykadzor were the object of archaeological study. Life in the settlement of Benyamin lasted from the beginning of the 1st century B.C. to the end of the 1st century B.C. In the middle of the 1st century B.C., a great fire takes place in the settlement, after which life is interrupted for a short time, and then blooms again. Some complexes built after the fire are noticeably expanding, and new buildings are being made. From the beginning of the 1st century A.D., the settlement began to decline.
The study of the architecture of the Hellenistic period structures of Benyamin's fiefs shows that in the 1st century B.C. three-aisled, columned halls were built in Armenia. As a result of the step-by-step observation of the construction process, which has been going on for about 1 and a half centuries, many issues of the planning principles, construction techniques, development and modification of architectural details of buildings of various functions are revealed. The changes and developments of burial forms and rites were observed by the study of burial grounds in the period of 1st century B.C, 4-5th century A.D. Geographically not far from each other, within a radius of 20 km, but with a certain chronological sequence, the changes in burial forms and rituals of the monuments covered the socio-economic life of the society and the development of material and spiritual culture.
The fact that the opened tombs are mostly burials of commons is also beneficial for the study. In about 300 excavated tombs, a steady decrease in the variety of burial types and rites over time is clearly demonstrated which in the 4-5th centuries is already rising to widespread monotony, which not only has a social basis but could also arise from the demands of a new ideology, Christianity.
2. "The Material Culture of Ani according to the Newly Discovered Archaeological Monument"
In 2001-2002, in the administrative area of Haykadzor village, Shirak Marz, RA, on the left bank of Akhuryan, in front of the Horomos monastery, the archaeological exploration of the promontory revealed that the north-south area is a multi-layered monument with traces of preserved structures from Iron Age, ancient and medieval settlements, ancient and early medieval half-destroyed tombs, and rich ground material. In the middle part of the cape descending to the river, in the tuff layer, a cave settlement was also discovered with interconnected man-made and natural caves. The cave settlement is located 3km north of Ani, between the capital and its northern gate, the Victory Arch (Haghtakamar), directly in front of the Horomos Monastery. In the steep coastal part of the Akhuryan River, in the yellowish tuff layer, a line of side-by-side caves have been preserved, which reach to the end of the cape. In the second tuff layer descending from the upper platform are the caves, which are at the same height above the level of the canyon, 15-20m.
Excavations of the newly discovered northern suburb allow us to state that these complexes were created over a long period and received their final shape during the Bagratuni period. Excavations of the suburb also prove that the cave settlement survived even after the political fall of Ani, and life continued here until the 20th century. A Late Urartian fortress was also discovered on the upper platform of the cape. The finds include stone tools, various pottery samples, bone tools and household items.
3. "Archaeological studies of Shirak"
Studies were carried out at Azatan (8-7th century BC settlement and burial site, a Middle Bronze Age tomb), Shirakavan (11-7th century BC burial site), Karmrakar (8-7th century BC tomb), Hatsik (1st millennium BC tomb), Kaps (Early Bronze Age settlement and burial site), Gyulibulagh (Early Bronze Age settlement, ancient burial ground), Keti (8-7th century BC tomb) ancient sites. Mets Sepasar belongs to the early Bronze Age monuments built on a natural hill in the Armenian Highlands. The ancient site dates back to the last stage of the Kura–Araxes culture, 18-26th century B.C. Life here continued intermittently until the late Middle Ages. An Early Bronze Age cult complex with auxiliary structures was excavated in Mets Sepasar. The sanctuary is rectangular in structure, with a north-south orientation, length is 5.5m, and width is 4.7m. The shrine opened here is unique in that it preserves the remains of the ritual of seven wolf sacrifices, as well as other details of the ritual dedicated to the New Year. Among the spiritual and ancillary structures excavated here were Early Bronze Age pottery and red-lined, complete spiral jars and bowls, fragments of various vessels, as well as crutches, pans, obsidian arrowheads, sickle inlays, and other items. Regardless of the pottery's ceremonial or domestic utility, all items are of high quality. The findings of Mets Sepasar are typical of the Armenian highlands to the culture of the 3rd millennium B.C.
In 2015-2017 thematic program "Fortification structures of the Akhuryan Basin" was also implemented with the funding of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports RA Science Committee (RA MoESCS), the subject of which is the inventory of the famous monuments of the area, the discovery of new monuments, the mapping, the identification of their chronological, functional and typological features, the clarification of the names used in the modern professional literature of fortifications and their corresponding terms according to their functional nature. The military-strategic importance of the placement of defence structures in chronological order and their correlation with trade routes and settlements.
4. "The socio-cultural landscape of the northwestern slopes of Aragats in 2-1st millennia B.C."
On the northwestern slopes of Mount Aragats, in the 2-1st millennia B.C., many protected fortress-settlements, extensive burial grounds spread around them, open-air sanctuaries, ancient water distribution systems and other complexes were formed. The interdisciplinary research of the examined slopes of Aragats provides an opportunity to follow the changes, transformations and developments of the socio-cultural landscape of the mentioned areas. The center of attention of the research group is both the highland and lowland monuments of the examined slopes.
Supervisor: Karine Bazeyan (Ph.D. in History, associate professor)
Between the years 1997 and 2002, a research endeavor entitled "Homemaking and Handicrafts in Shirak in the 20th Century" was conducted. This thematic investigation was financially supported and delved into the crafts, homemaking practices, and trades prevalent in the region. It also examined the displacement and eventual disappearance of certain traditional occupations, prompting a need for their revival in contemporary times. The study further explored the challenges of preserving age-old technical and technological know-how while adapting to new innovations. The integration of innovative and traditional principles within the realm of applied folk craftsmanship was also a focal point. An important focus was dedicated to the 20th century in studying the ethno-demographic processes and their impact on the demographic situation. These factors have influenced changes observed in numerous traditional and contemporary craft occupations, as well as in the formation of the socio-professional orientations of the population.
Interesting conclusions were also made regarding the challenges of preserving and perpetuating small household occupations derived from "mother" crafts or handicraft branches. These concerns have become more relevant in the last decade due to the new economic and social developments in RA, as a result of various situations. The research also examined the engagement of Gyumri and Shirak's abundant craft potential during the 1920s-1930s. Considerable focus was directed towards the present challenges in implementing traditional and modern crafts and the potential for their introduction, which could aid in addressing the issue of regional employment for the population.Between 2002 and 2004, the research project entitled "Economic Occupations and Usurping Forms of Economy in Shirak in the 19th-20th Centuries" was undertaken with thematic financing. As a result, a comprehensive study was conducted on the contemporary economic occupations of the Shirak population, encompassing their qualitative and quantitative aspects, households, and the organization of auxiliary branches of the economy, along with their ethno-demographic characteristics.Scientific comparative analyses were conducted, encompassing traditional Soviet and modern time frames. The study evaluated the overall contributions of auxiliary branches of the economy and household products to the region's economy. Additionally, the research examined the processes of social and gender-age changes. Interesting conclusions were also drawn concerning the challenges related to the establishment and continuity of small-scale household occupations originating from traditional economic forms and handicraft branches. These issues have gained increased significance in the last decade. The correlations between traditional and modern occupations, serving as the foundation for the emergence of diverse modern economic forms, were highlighted.
From 2005 to the present day within the framework of “Archaeological and Historical Ethnographic Studies of Shirak" project, the research subthemes "Historical and Ethnographic Study of Alexandrapol-Leninakan-Gyumri" and "Primary Production and Livelihood Culture of Alexandrapol-Leninak-Gyumri" have been explored. These subthemes encompass a thorough examination of all stages of the city's historical development. In the Armenian ethnography, the household cultural complex of the urban population remains incompletely studied. Alexandrapol-Leninakan-Gyumri stands out as the prime example of a successful fusion of traditional Armenian and foreign cultural elements, that continues to epitomize a unique synthesis of Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian cultures.The research scrutinized significant aspects of life support, social and normative practices, and humanitarian culture within the city of Alexandrapol. Particular attention was given to the formation of the city's distinctive identity, which manifested in the second half of the 19th century through the construction of European-style apartments, their interior decoration, as well as the intricacies of clothing and culinary traditions. The sphere of social-family relations is also a focal point, encompassing the Alexandrapol family and family rituals, as well as the organization of citizens' entertainment, holidays, beliefs, and numerous other phenomena."The socio-economic and demographic situation of Shirak at the beginning of the XX-XXI centuries" and "Processes of Shirak agricultural development and ethno-geographical change of rural population at the beginning of the XX-XXI centuries" subthemes are currently being pursued in parallel.
Supervisor: Sargis Petrosyan (Doctor of Science in History)
The program "The Akhuryan Basin in the 1st millennium BC: The Ethnic Composition of the Population, Mythological Ideas, and Worship" is dedicated to the comprehensive investigation and fresh examination of several contentious aspects of Shirak's ancient history. As part of this program, Armenological research was conducted in the following directions:
1. It was discovered that the model of the three-class composition of the Indo-European society, inherited by the Armenian people, was also implemented in Shirak and, more broadly, in the Akhuryan basin, particularly evident in the form of a three-class system of settlements (Shirakavan-Yerazgavors-Tignis, Ani-Ereruyk-Maghazberd, Yervandakert-Bagaran-Yervandashat, etc.). Their initial constituents comprised the centers of goods, representing the producer class; the clerical class as the second group, and the military class as the third. In adherence to the model of the three-class society, Shirak's ministerial clans were also categorized accordingly: Kamsarakan-Dimaksyan-Saharuni.
2. The veneration of water spirits and deities, dating back to ancient times, is evident in both the name of the Akhurian river and the cuneiform Akhurian settlement, as well as in the mythical figure of Okhai/Ukhai. The place name "Cunieform Macaltuni," of Indo-European origin, along with the Sumerian name "Asaldukh," are also reflections of water worship. Their cult has found its continuation in the cult of puppets.
3. The deep-rooted worship of the Mother Empress in Shirak finds evidence in Ani, where her name and the depiction of a female lion in her coat of arms are prominent. The female lion was a well-known animal symbol of the Mother Empress.
4.Both the mehengraphy of the bronze Urartian tin from the Budin collection (Geneva) and the iconography of individual rock paintings, along with the fragment of the Urartian belt discovered in the Gyumri area, played a crucial role in deciphering the Armenian mehenagram inscriptions. The existence of the latter is emphasized by its depiction of lions, which persisted in Gyumri even in the 19th century, adorning various buildings in the region.
5. Among the place names that indicate the Indo-European-Armenian nature of the population of Shirak and its surrounding regions in ancient times, the mountain names hold significance. The first cuneiform evidence of these names can be traced back to the expedition description of the Assyrian king Tiglathpalasar I in 1112 BC. Notably, Shakhishara (Shakhi-Shara) mentioned in the records corresponds to the mountain Aragats, while Khashtaraye (Hasht-Araye) refers to Ara mountain, and so forth.
6. Significant focus has been directed towards the transformation that occurred in Shirak and the Akhuryan Basin during the New (Second) Kingdom of Yervandunyats, spanning from the end of the 4th century BC to the end of the 3rd century BC.The site of the Yervandavan battle, dating back to 201 BC, was identified to be the same location as Ani. It was confirmed that the builder of Yervandavan was Orontes-Yervand (the restorer of Armenia's independence), after whom Ani was renamed Yervandavan. The identity of the predecessor of Yervand the Last, the king of Great Armenia, was also verified. It was Arsham, called Arshak in the Armenian royal list brought by the Anonymous historian (Sebeos) and in the "History of Georgia" ("Kartlis tskhovreba").
Supervisor: Armen Hayrapetyan (Ph.D. in Histօry, associate professor)
Within the scope of the "Archaeological and Historical Ethnographic Studies of Shirak" project, which is funded at its base level, Arkady Akopov is carrying out research on the administrative and demographic picture of the initial three decades of the 16th to 19th centuries, with a particular emphasis on Tayq. The aim is to highlight the causes, process and consequences of the spread of the Orthodox Chalcedonian religion among the Armenians of Tayq, to present the place and role of Tayq in 1830-1918. In the system of administrative territorial divisions of the Ottoman and Russian empires, explain the reasons for the change in the mechanical balance of the population, analyze the features of demographic processes.
Armen Hayrapetyan focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries in Eastern Shirak and the Alexandropol province, specifically researching the administrative-demographic aspects, socio-economic conditions, cultural developments, and political and social life of the initial two decades.
Karine Aleksanyan in 2005-2013. engaged in the coverage of emigration problems established in the province of Alexandropol during the First World War. Currently, K. Aleksanyan implements the sub-theme “Socio-economic and socio-political life in Alexandropol province during the First Republic of Armenia”. In particular, issues that need research are studied, such as the relations between the local government established in Alexandropol and the bodies of the RA central government, the often controversial questions of local government bodies and parliamentary elections, party struggle, the Bolshevik movement, and the causes and consequences of the May Uprising.
Gevorg Ayvazyan organizes and undergoes scientific processing in the 19th century. In the Eastern Armenian periodical press of the second half of the year, the materials related to the socio-political and educational-cultural life of Alexandropol are subjected to a scientific examination of the participation of the citizens of Alexandropol in the Armenian liberation movement, and the history of charitable-cultural societies, libraries, printing houses and written culture of Alexandropol is studied.
Inga Avagyan, within the sub-theme "Survivors of the Great Genocide," collects and scientifically processes memories, photos, personal belongings of eyewitnesses of the Armenian Genocide and students of Alexandropol orphanages. The publication of the series "Survivors of the Genocide," overseen by Inga Avagyan, is currently in progress.
Supervisor: Karine Sahakyan (Ph.D. in Psychology, associate professor)
Under the guidance of Karine Sahakyan, the group investigates changes in the traditional folklore and ritual system during the post-disaster period, as well as shifts in the national mentality and socio-psychological sentiments. Extensive data collection and processing were conducted regarding family ritual folklore, beliefs, mourning and burial ceremonies, dreams, and premonitions. An ethnopsychological framework for analyzing the material was developed, refining scientific ideas about the socio-psychological attributes of relocated families. The recorded folklore and ethnopsychological data offer a comprehensive portrayal of the psychological state of disaster victims, enabling new issues to be addressed in current methods of nomination and study. Alongside the examination of traditional and contemporary folklore examples, the study also involved an investigation into how folklore serves as a psychological coping mechanism for individuals during times of stress or crisis.
Within the framework of the sub-theme "Newly discovered manifestations of the traditional and cultural life and festive behavior of Armenian folk holidays," the study included a description of traditional celebrations, traditional Armenian culture of holidays, modern interpretations, and the contemporary aspects of holidays in various ethnographic regions of Armenia, with a specific focus on Shirak. Genres of folklore, including magical formulas, folk tales, ritual songs, lullabies, children's songs, love songs, proverbs, riddles, folk games, wishes, blessings, and oath formulas, were compiled. The research also involved identifying the social composition, gender, and age groups, as well as the psychological characteristics of the individuals (speakers) involved in preserving this material. This information helped determine their positions, orientations, and the value system associated with these traditions. The group collected and compiled forgotten or lost Armenian tribal meal recipes, regarded as crucial elements of material culture, and subsequently made them accessible to the public.
Since 2013, the group regularly organizes "Bread Festival in Gyumri," "National Kitchen" festivals, traditional lifestyle exhibitions, "Trndez in Gyumri," and "St. Easter" holiday celebrations, with the aim of combining holidays and festive culture. The group recognizes that this effort embodies the national spirit, essence, and tradition, serving as a significant means of spiritual healing and promoting the population of the Shirak region, particularly Gyumri. The preservation of national rituals and holidays, as well as crafts and craft traditions, is believed to enhance the mental balance of the population, strengthen the psychological and protective mechanisms of the city's inhabitants, activate the inner city's cultural life, foster opportunities for intercultural communication, and cultivate a positive attitude toward traditional values in the new generation, all contributing to the transmission of traditions. "From 2014 until now, the group has undertaken the implementation of the sub-theme “Compilation of the intellectual map of Shirak region” , which will include the main composition of the population of the communities, the movement of mass immigrants from Alashkert, Bitlis, Mush, Basen, Erzurum in the historical past, as well as exhaustive data characterizing the degree of traditionalism, mentality, character and psychology, dialect variety of the given ethnographic group.
Supervisor: Hasmik Harutyunyan (Ph.D. of Art, associate professor)
The musical heritage of Shirak in the 19th and 20th centuries has a special place and an essential role in the development of Armenian national musical art. The rich folk musical folklore, infused with genre-stylistic features derived from Western Armenian musical dialects, served as the foundation for the unprecedented rise of professional music of the oral tradition and the creation of a valuable heritage. The flourishing art of Shirak's Armenian ashughs (bards) and sazandars (folk music players), starting from the second half of the 19th century, interested Armenian folklorists and musician-folklorists. Komitas, Al. Mkhitaryants, A. Brutyan, N. Tigranyan, Sp. Melikyan and others valued this heritage with high standards. Since 1997, the musicology group of The Shirak Center for Armenological Studies has started an examination of individual topics of folk and professional music, under the supervision of H. Harutyunyan, Candidate of the Arts.
A wide range of studies have covered not only folk songs and music of Shirak but also special topics related to folk professional and compositional art. About 500 folklore samples were collected, mapped and systematised. The volume of the collected materials allowed the highlight of the Shirakian features of the professional musical art of the national oral tradition as completely as possible: genre, music-linguistic, musical-verbal, instrumental unique features, the life and work of ashughs, individual performers, as well as the complete picture of relations with Armenian composer art.
The musical peculiarities of present-day mugham performances and currently popular versions in Gyumri are also in the field of study. Songs from ashugh romances and fairytales were recorded. From 2015 to 2017, the musical group carried out the "Kars-Alexandrapol: Ashugh traditions and relations" theme, which was dedicated to the coverage of the historical preconditions of the formation of one of the unique centres of the Armenian ashugh (bardic) tradition in Alexandropol in the 19th century, as well as to the development manifestations of individual problems. The period of reorganisation and expansion of the activity of the ashugh guild that historically formed in Karin and then moved to Kars and Alexandropol was clarified. The musical typological analysis of the songs of the Armenian and Turkish ashughs of Kars and Alexandropol provided an opportunity to clearly define the coexistence of Armenian and Turkish national arts within the general ashug tradition.
Supervisor: Sergo Hayrapetyan (Doctor of Science in Philology)
The unforeseen events that have occurred in the life of our people over the last two decades have left a permanent impact on the development of the native language, revealing the influence of the society's current societal, political, social, moral, psychological, cultural and other conditions, especially on modern colloquial Armenian and its local dialects. One of the most compelling evidence of this is the current linguistic situation of Gyumri, where the necessity to study was an inevitable reality. Therefore, a group of folklorists from The Shirak Center for Armenological Studies, under the supervision of S. Hayrapetyan, Ph. D., conducts a comprehensive study of the current state of the Gyumri dialect of the Karno dialect, paying attention to migration-ethnographic processes and economic-political impulses, which in one way or another have left their mark on the further modifications of the speech.
The next step of the group will be to raise and thoroughly investigate the issues of social differentiation in local speech. Every language community, depending on the time, the ethnic characteristics of its population, the socio-economic situation in which it exists, its social lifestyle, moral and psychological state and many other circumstances, is characterised by specific social characteristics. Some of them have a universal value because they are essential to all language communities, and some other features are directly related to the peculiarities of the given community. Thus, in the case of Gyumri, the demographic shifts caused by the 1988 earthquake, the features of the city's reconstruction, the plan changes, the presence of a Russian-speaking (partially also bilingual) element, and the city's ever-increasing emigration-outflow along with the tragic decline of its population and the severe social situation caused by the widespread paralysis of the economy are all highlighted as language characteristics.
Although the examination of the peculiarities of the modern language situation of Gyumri has only recently begun, and a large amount of work is still needed to bring its findings together, reach theoretical conclusions, and identify patterns, it can now be recorded assuredly, along with other conclusions, that the end of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century did not contribute at all to the stabilisation and promotion of the positive trends that were quite clearly observed in the improvement of the language situation in the second city of the republic until the mid-1980s. Parallel to the study of the modern language situation in Gyumri, the Armenological Centre has been conducting a linguistic-philosophical study on children's folklore texts, particularly lullabies, since 2012 (director: Hasmik Matikyan). The factual material of the study consists of folklore texts in English and Armenian taken from the respective folklore sources. The everyday features of Armenian folk lullaby texts are examined, as well as the typological similarities and differences between folkloric and author's lullaby texts, the stylistic deceives unique to the lullaby are revealed, the dominant phrases are identified, and the text/image relationships are analysed in the lullaby text.
