For the first time, the term “Armenian Highlands” appeared in 1843 in the monograph by Herman Wilhelm Abih. This is a Russian-German geological researcher who spent some time in the Caucasus, and then introduced the given name of the area. To date, there are numerous disputes over its belonging to the Armenian people as a heritage. However, in the article we will consider different points of view, as well as the physical background of the terrain.
How did the Armenian Highlands originate?
This territory belongs to the Alpo-Himalayan mountain system. In ancient times, it was covered with the waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean, which is confirmed by excavations and finds in the layers of the earth: various remains of corals, fish, mollusks, etc. For paleontologists this is a good opportunity to study various representatives of the flora and fauna of that time. And the reason for the formation of the Caucasus Mountains, the Armenian Highlands, Tibet (since these are nearby areas) and their rise from the ocean is as follows.
As a result of the clash between Eurasia and the Arabian ledge of Gondwana, the Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands appeared. The collision of Hindustan and Eurasia led to the fact that the sedimentary layers of the ocean floor, which lay between two plates, crumpled and rose up. This led to the formation of the Himalayas, Tibet and other high mountains of the area.
In the Neogene period, the highlands split many times under the influence of internal volcanoes. Lava, which was poured through the cracks of the earth's crust, smoothed the folding of the highlands. It covered almost the entire surface of this territory with basalt strata. Today, the highlands are located in the Near East. On four sides it is surrounded by other territories - the Asia Minor and Iranian highlands, the Black Sea and Mesopotamian plains.
Mountain formations
The Armenian Highlands have a large number of high ridges, large chains of volcanic cones, as well as individual extinct volcanoes. The highest point of this territory is Mount Big Ararat. It has a height of 5165 meters. Somewhat smaller are Small Ararat (3925 meters) and Syuphan (4434 meters), which are located in Turkey. In Armenia there is Mount Aragats, which has a height of 4090 meters, and in Iran - Sabalan (4821 meters) and Sahend (3707 meters).
What territories is part of the highlands
You should also list which territories are located on this elevation, what it includes. For example, the massif of the Armenian Highlands is the entire territory of Turkey and Armenia, the western part of Iran and Azerbaijan, the south of Georgia.
Features of the territory
This highland is considered one of the largest of those formed by lava. As indicated above, its origin is such that in different periods of the Earth, this territory underwent tremendous changes in its structure. Either it rose to the surface from the sea as a result of a collision of plates, which led to a folded structure, then it cracked, releasing a large amount of lava from the bowels of the Earth. It should be noted that some mountains located on the highlands are extinct volcanoes (for example, Ararat), and the territory itself is considered seismically unstable.
The height of the Armenian Highlands today is 1500-1800 meters above sea level. It is much larger than the neighboring Iranian Highlands and the Anatolian Plateau. If we talk about the area of the highlands, then it is equal to 400 thousand square kilometers.
It should be noted that it is here that the sources of many rivers are located, for example, the Euphrates, Tigris, Araks, and Kura. Almost every river in the Armenian Highlands is filled with snowmelt and rain. Also, the area’s water pool is made up of numerous lakes (the largest are Sevan, Van, Urmia).
Ancient state in the highlands
This territory has always had a population. Since the geological formation was stopped, it has taken on a modern appearance. Of course, confirmations to some state entities can be found only in mythological chronicles or in cuneiform records of other peoples (more studied).
The oldest state in the Armenian Highlands, which has documentary evidence and archaeological (excavation), is called Urartu. It existed from the 9th century BC. e. until the VI century BC e. During its heyday, the state of Urartu occupied one of the main places in Western Asia. When it fell into decay, i.e., was conquered by the Medes, this territory became part of the Achaemenid state.
Further formation on this territory of the states came down to the fact that in the II century BC. e. Great Armenia was formed here , which is the beginning and cradle of modern Armenians.
Armenia claims that the great state of Urartu is also the ancient ancestors of Armenians. However, such a statement is debatable, since there is no reliable evidence of this statement. Some scholars believe that many facts are simply falsified.
Legacy of the ancients
Whatever it was, but on the territory of the highlands, especially recently, amazing artifacts are found that tell us how our ancestors lived, what their customs were, lifestyle, etc. The ancient state on the territory of the Armenian Highlands, it turns out, left its legacy to us, its descendants.
Archaeological excavations near Mount Portasar led to the fact that a whole temple complex was discovered here, which belongs to an older period than even the Egyptian pyramids (thus, it can be argued that the people living here in antiquity already had a higher level of development) . Four churches have been found to date, and it is planned to find another sixteen.
Two hundred kilometers from Yerevan, a structure was found that resembles Stonehenge in shape, but has a more ancient origin. It represents numerous vertically standing columns with through holes in the upper part. Moreover, if you look at Karavundzh (the name of this building) from above, then we can say that its outlines resemble the constellation Cygnus.
Secrets that ancestors left
One of the insoluble secrets that occupy the minds of scientists are several items found in Armenia. One of them is a bird figurine, which was found in Eastern Armenia in the seventies of the last century. The fact is that her age is at least three thousand years, and the material from which it is made is unknown to the present. No modern tool could damage it.
Another find that struck scientists was the iron bit for the horse. They date from the same time as the found bird, but they are preserved surprisingly well. Moreover, it should be noted that iron products began to be made for the first time about a thousand years later.
Thanks to these findings, some scientists believe that the birth of the first civilizations occurred a little earlier than was commonly believed. Some even argue that they arose precisely on the site of the modern Armenian Highlands about twelve thousand years ago.
Some contradictions related to this area
There is heated debate among researchers about the name of the area. Some argue: it reflects the historical premises that Armenians have lived here for centuries. These researchers believe that it was the indicated people who first inhabited this territory in ancient centuries. They also talk about the exclusivity of the Armenians, because the highlands where they lived are the cradle of all civilizations. Confirmations are found in various ancient manuscripts, during archaeological excavations, even in one of the ancient books - the Bible.
However, other researchers are skeptical of all such inferences. Regarding the name, they refer to the fact that only in 1843 it came into historical use thanks to Heinrich Abich. During the trip, he was accompanied by representatives of the Armenian Church, as well as Armenian figures, as a result of which all that he saw was presented as a heritage of Armenian culture. This part of the researchers claims that historically Armenia belonged to completely different lands, for example, Herodotus, who mentions this people in his writings, speaks of the Armenians in the upper Euphrates, near Phrygia and in a small part of the mountains near the beginning of the Galis River.
If we consider the name of the highlands, then in ancient times it was known as az-Zazavan. Ibn Haukal (Arab author of the 10th century), who described these lands in his writings, speaks of the numerous testimonies of Turkic and Azerbaijani (traditions and customs, everyday life, etc.). In addition, researchers believe it is wrong to think that the biblical events of the Flood occurred in this area, only because of some parts of Noah's ark found in this area.
Be that as it may, it is now very difficult to find out for sure about the events that took place in antiquity in this area. Of course, if you do not invent a time machine. Therefore, all disputes should be based only on facts obtained by conducting excavations and research of found objects.
Conclusion
The Armenian Highlands is a region that has an ancient history and is rich in memorable finds of ancient settlements and peoples. The assumptions made by historians and researchers of the region about the most ancient times are difficult to refute or confirm. To a simple layman, one can only admire unusual finds and imagine how ancient ancestors used them.