YEREVAN, November 1. (ARMENPRESS).

Ughtasar petroglyphs V-II millenium B.C.

As a result of the fruitful cooperation between the Armenian-German research program of the ancient Armenian petroglyphs, an internet website will be created dedicated to the Armenian petroglyphs. In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan stated that the Armenian petroglyphs need a deep and serious observation. Poghosyan said: “We must record everything that we have with the assistance of experts from Germany. They encouraged us to crate a granary, as the Armenian petroglyphs are unique and will be included in the list of UNESCO world heritage.”

She also added that the German experts have already introduced a lengthy written document, where everything is recorded and a large amount of information regarding the petroglyphs is available. The minister said: “The works will continue for another year, after which it will become clear what we have done and what is still to be done. It’s not only about the inclusion into UNESCO world heritage list, it’s also about informing the outside world about the Armenian petroglyphs.” The necessary mechanisms for their preservation will also be developed.

The Armenian-German research program of the petroglyphs in Jermuk and Sisian under the leadership of Professor Harold Miller and the Director of the Institute of Archeology and Demography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia Pavel Avetisyan kicked off in 2011.

source: http://bsanna-news.ukrinform.ua/newsitem.php?id=20551&lang=en

I imagine Hayks bow must have looked somewhat similar to this one (only much larger as the legends describe).

Bronze age Bow and Quiver form Shirakavan Armenia, 14-12 c. B.C

Cave Writing from Lake Sevan

Before hieroglyphic writing was developed, between 900 and 700 BCE, people of the Armenian region expressed themselves by carving and painting designs on rocks.  These three pictographs were executed between the 8th and 4th millenia BCE, (9000 to 3000 BCE).  According to archaeologists  the drawings are associated with Neolithic cultures, especially in the higher mountain regions (Aragats and Aghmaghan and the basin of Lake Sevan).

Urartian Hieroglyphics

Urartian Hieroglyphs

The Armenian Language and its Roots

The Indo-European group of languages is one of the most widely spoken family of languages in the world.

Around 3000 B.C.E., the Proto-Indo-European family of languages was probably closely unified, but by 2000 B.C.E., Greek and two extinct languages, Hittite and Sanskrit, were distinct languages. Though changes in grammar and meaning have taken place, analysis of vocabulary indicates that the people of the ancient Indo-European culture were metal-using farmers tending domestic animals. Recent discoveries suggest links to  the Kurgan people, who lived on the steppes west of the Ural Mountains. In the Kingdom of Van, 810 BCE, inscriptions of economic and sacrificial nature were written in hieroglyphics. Specimens of Armenian hieroglyphics are also evident in Urartean excavations at Karmir-Blur, where pottery, bronze cups and cylinder seals were found. This type of writing was used by peoples living on the Ararat Plain, even before the penetration of the Urartian tribes, according to excavations at Cholagerd.

Ancient Armenian Writing Before Mesrob

Ancient Armenian writing before Mesrob

Invention of the Armenian Alphabet St. Sahag and St. Mesrob, 404 CE

St. Sahak and St. Mesrob and their disciples translating the bible.

The Armenian Language

Indo European language tree

Lord Byron Armenian

Lord Byron, a famous English romantic poet, studied Armenian from 1816-1823 on the island of San Lazzaro at the Mekhitarist Convent in Venice, Italy.  He wrote, “It is a rich language, however, and would amply repay any one the trouble of learning it” and in a April 11, 1818 memo, wrote, “You will not neglect my Armenians.”

source: University of Minnesota 

Armenian Mouflon (Ovis orientalis gmelini - Blyth, 1851), is a resident of the mountain foothills and rolling steppe of Armenia, Iran and Nakhchivan. They live mostly in open rough terrain at medium or high altitudes, where they inhabit rocky hill country. These alpine sheep spend the summer at the highest elevations, up to six thousand meters, right below the permanent snow. In winter they move lower and may come into the valleys. They live in small or larger herds, and in the summer the older males live singly or in separate groups. They may live up to 18 years. Armenian Mouflon is considered a critically endangered species. In Armenia, it has been forbidden to hunt them since 1936. Armenian mouflon is now found only in two protected areas, the Khosrov Nature Reserve in Armenia created for this mouflon’s protection, and the Ordubad Sanctuary (Nakhichevan, controlled by Azerbaijan). A captive breeding program has been initiated at the Zoological Institute of Armenia.

Papier d’Arménie, or Armenian Paper, is a room deodorizer made of sheets of paper, which are coated with the dried sap of styrax trees. At the end of the 19th century, Auguste Ponsot discovered that Armenian households would burn Styrax as a fragrance and disinfectant. M. Ponsot adopted this habit with the help of the pharmacist Henri Rivier, whereby benzoin resin was dissolved in alcohol, then infused onto a blotting paper support. The “alchemy” inherent in Papier d’Arménie became a huge success with the emerging importance of hygiene from 1888–1889, and has been steadily produced in Montrouge, France since 1885.

Recent discoveries in historic Armenia reveal traces of earliest civilizations. Turkish archaeologists recently found a wealth of artifacts in Başur Höyük, Siirt in modern day Turkey (Aghdznik province of Greater Armenia).  Small carved stones unearthed in a nearly 5,000-year-old burial could represent the earliest gaming tokens ever found. The elaborate pieces consist of 49 small stones sculpted in different shapes and painted in green, red, blue, black and white. Some depict pigs, dogs and pyramids, others feature round and bullet shapes. There were also found dice as well as three circular tokens made of white shell and topped with a black round stone.

These small sculpted stones unearthed from an early Bronze Age burial in modern day Turkey could be the earliest gaming tokens ever found, confirming that board games likely originated and spread from Armenian Highlands. The elaborate pieces consist of 49 small stones sculpted in different shapes and painted in green, red, blue, black and white.

The find confirms that board games likely originated and spread from the Armenian Highlands more than 5,000 years ago.  According to distribution, shape and numbers of the stone pieces, it appears that the game is based on the number 4.

Archaeological records indicate that board games were widely played in Mesopotamia. Several beautifully crafted boards were found by British archaeologist Leonard Wooley in the Royal cemetery of Ur, the ancient Sumerian city near the modern Iraqi city of Nasiriya. Much more elaborate, the newly discovered gaming stones were recovered from one of nine graves found at Başur Höyük. The site was inhabited as early as from 7,000 B.C. and was on a trade route between East and West.

About 300 well-preserved amorphous bronze artefacts were present in the nine burials. The nearly 5,000 year old artifacts were produced following advanced technologies.

Overall, the graves revealed a unique treasure made of painted and unpainted pottery, bronze spearhead, various ritual artifacts, seals with geometric motifs and about 300 well-preserved amorphous bronze artifacts. The majority of pots featured bitumen residues. Bitumen was most likely part of a burial ritual or was applied to prevent secondary use of the pots. Tens of thousands of beads made of mountain crystal and other types of stones were also recovered from the burials.

The playing pieces were recovered from one of nine graves found at Başur Höyük, a 820- by 492-foot mound near Siirt in Armenian Highland today southeast Turkey. Inhabited as early as from 7,000 BC.

“The gaming pieces, thousands of beads, hundreds of complete pots and metal artifacts indicate those graves were not ordinary burials but most probably belonged to individuals of a ruling class,” archaeologist Sağlamtimur said. Radio carbon dating traced the grave goods back to 3100-2900 B.C., confirming the Early Bronze Age stylistic features of the items and the advanced technological level of the local population.

“The graves contained metal artifacts, ceramic finds and seals with different attributes and influences which indicate the local people were in close relationship with their surrounding cultural regions,”

The burial featured an abundance of painted and unpainted pottery, with several examples from the Ninivite 5 culture.

From folk tales we know that early settlements of Armenians were established around Lake Van (modern-day Turkey). Hayk the legendary patriarch of Armenians slew the Babylonian tyrant Bel east from lake Van and established settlements nearby. Spearheads and weaponry found in the burials reveal warrior culture of the region.

The abundance of bronze spearhead and other weapons, not appearing in the Mesopotamia Ninivite burials, reveal the presence of “an important warrior component,” – Marcella Frangipane.

Discoveries in Armenian Highland, will allow us to reconstruct a new history of this region which is indeed the meeting point of the most ancient Near East civilizations

Tens of thousands of beads made of mountain crystal and other types of stones were recovered.

One of the greatest figures in Armenian history, he was born about 361 at Hassik in the Province of Taron; died at Valarsabad, 441. He was the son of Vartan of the family of the Mamikonians. Koryun, his pupil and biographer, tells us that Mesrob received a liberal education, and was versed in the Greek, Syriac, and Persian languages. On account of his piety and learning Mesrob was appointed secretary to King Chosroes III. His duty was to write in Greek, Persian, and Syriac characters the decrees and edicts of the sovereign, for, at this time, the national alphabet was long lost. But Mesrob felt called to a more perfect life. Leaving the court for the service of God, he took Holy orders, and withdrew to a monastery with a few chosen companions. There, says Goriun, he practiced great austerities, enduring hunger and thirst, cold and poverty. He lived on vegetables, wore a hair shirt, slept upon the ground, and often spent whole nights in prayer and the study of the Holy Scripture. This life he continued for a few years, preparing himself for the great work to which Providence was soon to call him. Indeed both Church and State needed his services. Armenia, so long the battle-ground of Romans and Persians, lost its independence in 387, and was divided between the Byzantine Empire and Persia, about four-fifths being given to the latter. Western Armenia was governed by Greek generals, while an Armenian king ruled, but only as feudatory, over Persian Armenia. The Church was naturally influenced by these violent political changes, although the loss of civil independence and the partition of the land could not destroy its organization or subdue its spirit. Persecution only quickened it into greater activity, and had the effect of bringing the clergy, the nobles, and the common people closer together. The principal events of this period are the recovery of the Armenian alphabet, the revision of the liturgy, the creation of an ecclesiastical and national literature, and the readjustment of hierarchical relations. Three men are prominently associated with this stupendous work: Mesrop, Patriarch Isaac, and King Vramshapuh, who succeeded his brother Chosroes III in 394.

The recovery of the alphabet (406) was the revival of Armenian literature, and proved a powerful factor in the upbuilding of the national spirit. “The result of the work of Isaac and Mesrob”, says St. Martin (Histoire du Bas-Empire de Lebeau, V, 320),“was to separate for ever the Armenians from the other peoples of the East and to strengthen them in the Christian Faith by forbidding or rendering profane all the foreign alphabetic scripts which were employed for transcribing the books of the heathens and of the followers of Zoroaster. To Mesrob we owe the preservation of the language and literature of Armenia; but for his work, the people would have been absorbed by the Persians and Syrians, and would have disappeared like so many nations of the East”.

Anxious that others should profit by his discovery, and encouraged by the patriarch and the king, Mesrob founded numerous schools in different parts of the country, in which the youth were taught the new alphabet. But his activity was not confined to Eastern Armenia. Provided with letters from Isaac he went to Constantinople and obtained from the Emperor Theodosius the Younger permission to preach and teach in his Armenian possessions. He evangelized successively the Georgians, Albanians, and Aghouanghks, adapting his alphabet to their languages, and, wherever he preached the Gospel, he built schools and appointed teachers and priests to continue his work.

Having gathered around him numerous disciples, he sent some to Edessa, Constantinople, Athens, Antioch, Alexandria, and other centers of learning, to study the Greek language and bring back the masterpieces of Greek literature. Many of which only survived in Armenian. The most famous of his pupils were John of Egheghiatz, Joseph of Baghin, Eznik, Koryun, Moses of Chorene, and John Mandakuni. In the midst of his literary labours Mesrob did not neglect the spiritual needs of the people. He revisited the districts he had evangelized in his earlier years, and, after the death of Isaac in 440, looked after the spiritual administration of the patriarchate. He survived his friend and master only six months. The Armenians read his name in the Canon of the Mass, and celebrate his memory on 19 February.

Sources:

Smith and Wace, Dict. Christ. Biog., s.v. Mesrobs; Langlois, Collection des Historiens de l’Arménie, II (Paris, 1869);

Weber, Die kathol. Kirche in Armenien (1903); Neumann. Versuch einer Gesch, der armen. Litteratur (Leipzig, 1836);

Gardthausen, Ueber den griech. Ursprung der armen. Schrift in Zeitschr. der deutsch. morgenländ. Gesellschaft, XXX (1876);

Lenormant, Essai sur la propagation de l’alphabet phénicien, I (1872).

From:

Vaschalde, A.A. (1911). Mesrob. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved August 23, 2013 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10211a.htm

Artifacts found in Dvin, ancient capital of Armenia

Dvin was one of the most ancient settlements of the Armenian Highland and an ancient capital of Armenia, traced back as far as the 3rd millennium BC. During the excavations of 1958, a settlement of Late Bronze and Early Iron age period was discovered under the citadel of Dvin. Excavations revealed ancient workshops and worship structures from the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, with a metal workshop and four sanctuaries. The latter were large structures that had stone bases and walls made of unburnished clay. Flat roofs rested on wooden columns. Astonishing altar stelae of complex compositions, with traces of “eternal” fire and mostly black-polished utensils used at ceremonies were placed inside these sanctuaries built in the architectural traditions of Pre-Urartian (Araratian) dwellings. In the first half of the 8th century BC, Dvin and numerous settlements of the Ararat Valley were ruined due to invasions. Traces of a great fire and ruins that took place in this period are clearly seen from excavations in Dvin. According to UNESCO Dvin was also the sight of a 6th century BC. fortress.

Drawing of the central square of the ancient Armenian capital city of Dvin. The main cathedral of S. Grigor (3rd-5th century), with a small church of S. Sarkis to the right (6th century), and the residence of the Catholicos on the left (5th century).

From the first half of the 4th century, Dvin was the primary residence of the Armenian Kings of Arshakuny dynasty and the Holy See of the Armenian Church. King Khosrov II built a palace (in 335 AD.) on the site of an ancient settlement making Dvin the capital of Armenia and subsequently the seat of the Catholicos. The city grew rapidly reaching a population of over 100.000. Dvin prospered as one of the most populous and wealthiest cities east of Constantinople. Dvin quickly turned into a regional economic center, a meeting-point of trade routs from east and west. Six trade routes started from Dvin, which connected the city with Iran, Iraq, Assyria, the Byzantine Empire and countries of the Mediterranean basin. Goods manufactured in the renowned workshops of these countries were imported into Dvin. Production of the craftsmen of Dvin (pottery and textiles) was exported far beyond the borders of the country. It was the center of craftsmanship and transit commerce. In the central district of the city the Armenian Patriarch’s residence was situated with its churches and patriarchate. The city was situated on a hill, on top of which stood the old Citadel and the adjacent buildings. The city had defensive walls formed of two layers, and a temple tower. 

Ruins of Dvin ancient settlement

After the fall of Arshakuny dynasty, Dvin still remained the largest city of Armenia. At the end of 7th century, as a result of Arab invasions, Dvin and most of Armenia came under the power of the Arab Caliphate. The Arabs formed an administrative unit of Armenia, whose center was Dvin. From the beginning of the 8th century, during the Arab rule, Dvin was again a prosperous free-trade city of crafts and goods. Armenian and foreign written sources call Dvin the “Great Capital”. Despite the fact that Dvin was a battleground between Arabs and Byzantine forces for the next two centuries, in the 9th century, it was still a flourishing city. In 1236 Dvin was invaded by Tatar Mongols. Though It was destroyed and robbed, it managed to survive one more century. The last time the city of Dvin had been mentioned was in one of the Georgian chronicles along with other ruined cities. At the site of the ruined city several small villages were built which have survived until present days.

Dvin was the birthplace of Najm ad-Din Ayyub and Asad ad-Din Shirkuh bin Shadhi, Kurdish generals in the service of the Seljuks; Najm ad-Din Ayyub’s son, Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt. Saladin was born in Tikrit, Iraq, but his family had originated from the ancient city of Dvin.

The archaeological sites at Dvin are inscribed in UNESCO. Numerous wonderful artifact uncovered at the sight attest to the high level of craftsmanship practiced by the ancient inhabitants of Dvin.

Small pitcher with an image of a musician 11th c., Dvin, glass

Vessel with zoomorphic handles, green, glazed12th-13th cc., Dvin, clay

Capital with the high relief of mother and child, Dvin 5th 6th cc

Capital with the crucifixion scene and the image of st. George

Glazed dish Dvin 12th 13th c

Glazed tray from Dvin 12th 13th c

Glazed tray from Dvin 9th c

Glazed dish from Dvin 11th-12th c

Glazed dish from Dvin 11th-12th c

Dish 9th-10th cc., Dvin, clay

Small pitcher, engraved, with one handle, Dvin 9th – 11th cc.

Dish with an image of an eagle, Dvin, 12th-13thc

Dish with an image of a winged Sphinx 11th-12th cc., Dvin

Fragment of a stamped karas-vessel band with lion images10th-11th cc., Dvin, clay

Cover of a karas-vessel or tonir (big jar dug in the earth in which fire is made, used for baking bread)9th-13th cc., Dvin, clay

Pitcher, red-polished11th -12th cc., Dvin

Karas, red-polished with ornamented bands10th-11th cc., Dvin, clay

Stone head with Armenian tiara, ca. 1st century A.D., from Dvin

Ruins of Dvin ancient settlement

Capital of S. Grigor Cathedral. 4th c AD.

St. Harutyun Church in Dvin was built in 2000

Sources:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/8/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvin

http://www.noyantour.com/sights/dvin.html

http://www.historymuseum.am/expositions/?id=15&lang=eng

http://www.historymuseum.am/expositions/?id=3&lang=eng

http://www.planeta.am/?module=article&utility=show_tour&id_article=125&lang=eng&id_category=8&type=places

Scenery from Shirak Province, Harichavank complex (7th century AD).

A temple complex is being excavated in Ogmik, the northwest of Armenia’s Shirak province, archeologist Hayk Hakobyan told journalists on Monday.

“We have already found altars, idols and clay figures and carcasses of animals offered to gods. More specifically, dogs and deer were offered to Anahit and Astghik, goats to Vahagn. On one of the altars we have even found a human skull,” Hakobyan said.

He said that the temple complex was built in II BC and was active till IV AD. “So, we see that not all pagan temples were destroyed after the adoption of Christianity. The complex in Ogmik was not ruined but just stopped its activities,” Hakobyan said.

He said that the excavations in Ogmik were started in the late 1980s and resumed in 2006. “If continued at the current pace, they may last for as long as 80-100 years,” Hakobyan said.

Source: http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=A67B06A0-2F4B-11E3-83250EB7C0D21663

German printer and engraver Christopher Weigel, portrays Armenian territory as the land between the Black and Caspian seas. During this time, Armenia was greatly elated by the emergence of new generation of artists, songwriters, lyricists, led by the legendary Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova (“Master of songs”).

In his “Armenia: Survival of the nation” (Routledge, revised second edition, 1990), British historian and author Christopher J. Walker writes:

“Almost without, exception Armenians are Christians, although often in a sociological rather than a religious sense. Their devotion to their ancient Church as the main embodiment of their traditions, and as the one institution which remained alive when their country was enshrouded in the might of alien empires, is immensely strong”.

1720 Weigel Map of the Caucuses

The monastery of Geghard (Armenian: Գեղարդ, meaning spear) is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex of medieval buildings is set into a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by towering cliffs at the entrance to the Azat Valley. The monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred pagan spring inside a cave, holding one of Armenia’s purest water-springs. The monastery of Geghard contains a number of cave churches and tombs, most of them cut into rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architecture. It is called “the Monastery of the Spear”, because of the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Geghard by Apostle Thaddeus, and stored among many other relics. For more beautiful pictures of Geghard click HERE!

Below, some sketches of the complex:

The main church called the Katoghike, A-section technical drawing.

Technical drawing of B-section of Geghard cave-monastery complex

Technical drawing of C-section of Geghard cave-monastery complex

Technical drawing of D-section of Geghard cave-monastery complex

Technical drawing of west elevation of Geghard monastery complex

The color that once mesmerized the old world, extracted from an insect known to Europeans as Kermes and Kirmiz to the Arabs, has its roots in the Armenian Ararat valley. It is the ancient symbol of power and admiration, essence of beauty and goodness. The lowly scale bug, lies at the center of the creation of one of the most rare and special pigments known to man.  The secret of the preparation of the truly permanent dye, one which defies the destructive forces of light, temperature, humidity and time, was kept by our Armenian ancestors for over 2,000 years, passing it down from generation to generation. Tragically, the secret was lost only 100 years ago as artificial dyes gained broader acceptance among consumers. Seven colors, ranging from dark-blue through blackberry to Jaffa-orange have been extracted but one yet remains illusive. The missing tone is the same shade of truest crimson that made “Araratean cochineal” famous throughout the world.

The loss of the wonder of the orient

The dye has been prepared in the Ararat Valley since the most ancient times. The Bible mentions that Noah’s descendants wore garments colored with a red dye made from the scale bug. Records of Sargon II that dated to 714 BC make note of the precious crimson fabrics had been taken from the country around Ararat as trophies of war. The dye extracted from the adult insects was used by the kings and high priests alike to seal their most important documents. Ancient physicians also took advantage its medicinal qualities: soothing temperatures, antiseptic for wounds, and for contraception. The textiles made with Armenian crimson were highly valued in Greece and Rome alike. The beauty queens of the time had many cosmetic uses for the bug. Additional recognition came during the Arab invasion in the period of 7th to 9th centuries AD, when the Europeans declared it the “Wonder of the Orient” for its unique ability to delight the eye.

Some of the more specific descriptions of the dye and the bug are to be found in the notes of Arab travelers and explorers. A renowned writer and geographer, Abu-Isaak Al-Istarkhi, mentioned in his book the Roadmap of Kingdoms (930 AD):

“In the city of Dabil (Dvin) woolen dresses, carpets, pillows, saddles, ropes and many other articles of Armenian industry are made. Also, the red dye kirmiz is manufactured here, and it is used to dye fabrics. I discovered that kirmiz is extracted from the larvae that knit around themselves just as silkworms do.”

Another Arab traveler, Shams Ud-Din Al-Muqaddas, reports:

“Kirmis… is a worm that lives in the ground; women go there and collect the worms in copper… Which they later place in bread ovens.”

In the period of the 9th through the 11th centuries AD, Armenians were active in international commerce. Dvin was an important transit destination on many trade routes. One of the essential exports was crimson. Armenian carpets made of red wool were very much in fashion in ancient times. Judging from the high value of Vordan, its manufacture surely generated great returns and naturally the dye trade flourished. In addition to Dvin, Artashat was also known for its dyes. Form the 7th to the 13th centuries there were so many dye manufacturers in the city that it was often called Kirmiz.

From a much later period, there is evidence that Stradivarius and Leonardo Da Vinci used Armenian crimson, and that Rembrandt tried to acquire the vordan as well. With Columbus’s discovery of the Americas, Vordan Karmir had to give way to its crimson cousin, the South American cochineal. Brought from the New World, the new bug received wide popularity for its ease of use in production and availability. That said, its qualities were no match for vordan’s, but the immigrant bug became more and more widely used. The Armenians of the time may also have erred in failing to guard the production secrets used for the new bug as closely as they had the old.

The underground life of the Araratean chochineal

The life of the red scale bug is also tangled in mystery. They spend most of their days up to 5 centimeters below the ground, feeding on the roots of a plant called Vordan. They come out to the surface only during their mating season, in the months of September and October, that lasts about 40 days. The males and females are distinctly different. Only the females are used for extracting the pigment; they are bigger than the males and have an oval shape. After conception, the females return to the underground where they lay their eggs. Accomplishing this important mission, the adult females soon die. To observe the creatures in their natural habitat, you have to travel to the grasslands of the Ararat valley on a early Autumn morning. You won’t miss the bright puddles of congregating crimson specks. The locals claim that in the old days there was so much of Vordan Karmir that they made the entire valley look like it was covered with a crimson carpet.

Search for the lost recipe

Researchers managed to extract that very crimson color, referred to as “tzirani” (apricot) in the manuscripts, but they are having trouble keeping it fixed. The dye changes its tone rapidly. Nevertheless, the search for the ancient recipe continues in Matenadaran. A great hope is laid upon experiments with the roots of the plant Lotur, as many ancient authors claimed that it aids the brightness of the desired crimson tone.

For a time, the scientists were puzzled by the fat reserves of the insect. Constituting 30% of the insect’s overall body weight, it was getting in the way of acquiring the pigment, which is only 2-5%. However, the problems associated with the excess fat was resolved in Matenadaran. They learned to separate it during the boiling process, the same way as glycerol was collected during the preparation of soap. One of the recipes, written in 1830 by the Archimandrite of the Echmiadzin monastery Isaac Ter-Grigorian, dictates: “After the insects are mortified in the solution by potassium carbonate, they shall be kept in water for 24 hours. Then boil it in saponaria solution, add lytrhum and alum. Then filter and dry.”

In addition to the insect itself, the compound also includes hedgehog fat, ant eggs and other rarities. However, perhaps the most important ingredient of the mysterious dye is the prayer which is to be recited during the process of preparation, at least three times. “Ancient manuscripts give us clues that would be impossible to decode without knowledge of the Holy Scripture. Generally speaking, our forefathers would not start any project without a prayer,” declared Armen Saakian, who has been serving as a deacon (sargavak) in one of the churches in Yerevan since 1993. In the exhibition halls of Matenadaran one can enjoy the finely crafted manuscripts of the ancient masters. The images have preserved their original freshness, despite the fact that many of them were abused or kept in unfavorable conditions. Saving the books from frequent enemy attacks, Armenians immured them into the walls or buried them in the ground. Nevertheless, neither the damp of the monasteries, nor the hostile environment of the soil, managed to extinguish the crimson fire of Vordan.

Actually, the creature is not only instrumental in preserving the crimson of the manuscripts. It is also famed for having intense rejuvenating effects on human skin. Armen Saakian has spent over a decade on recreating the recipe for a skin ointment. Today the mildly pink “Vordan Karmir” cream is on the market to help those in pursuit of preserving their youth. It has amazingly efficient antioxidant, with moisturizing, purifying and antiseptic qualities. In medieval Armenia, only the ladies of the nobility could take advantage of Vordan, but now through the efforts of Armen Saakian and others, it is somewhat more accessible. The magic cream has already gained recognition in Europe and Russia. In the words of Saakian, “All that we have accomplished in our Institute so far is just a drop in the ocean. The manuscripts of Matenadaran contain many more secrets yet to be discovered.”

Source: Gayane Mirzoyan - Yerevan Magazine, Winter, N3, 2008

Description: ArmeniaMaior, Colchis, Iberia, Albania
Date: 1655 A.D.
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France
Author: Jan L’Huilier (17th century) – Engraver: Nicolas Sanson (1600–1667)