| 467
Hamle Pe osyan
Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s
in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone:
Tig anake , Ama as, Vacha
Abs ac
The La e Hellenis ic ci y o Tig anake , which is now unde Aze baijani con ol, is loca ed in he Aske-
an egion o A sakh (Nago no Ka abagh), an in e na ionally un ecognized epublic which has p o-
claimed i s independence a he beginning o he 90s o he las cen u y a e he A menian-Aze bai-
jani wa . The ci y is loca ed in he lowe alley o Khachenage i e , which is he second la ges i e
in he highland. I is sp ead o e he sou h-eas e n slopes o Moun Vankasa and is adjacen o he
slopes nea he Royal Sp ings (Shahbulagh). The ci y, which occupies mo e han 70.0 hec a es o he
o iginal u ban a ea and a cho a measu ing abou 4.0 squa e kilome e s, was disco e ed, esea ched,
and p esen ed o he in e na ional scien i ic communi y by he A sakh A chaeological Expedi ion, o
which I ha e he hono and esponsibili y o be he head. This a icle discusses he a chaeological ex-
ca a ions ca ied ou in A sakh in ecen yea s and ies o ind ou whe he he la es a chaeological
disco e ies can b ing news in his ield. This a icle deals wi h he esul s o a chaeological exca a-
ions o ea ly medie al imes on he his o ical e i o y o A sakh-Ka abakh and U ik, based on he
a chaeological esea ch o Tig anake and i s su oundings, Ama as and Vacha .
1. In oduc ion
A sakh and U ik a e he no h-eas e n p o inces o he his o ical G ea e A menia. These
p o inces, acco ding o he a ailable da a, we e a pa o he his o y o he A menians a leas
om he 6 h cen u y BCE, when hey we e he no h-eas e n on ie p o inces o he A men-
ian Ye andid Kingdom. A he beginning o he 2nd cen u y BCE, A ashes I. e-es ablished
his on ie by igh ing he Caucasian ibes. Tig anes he G ea (95–55 BCE) de eloped a new
s a egy agains he Caucasian ibes by e ec ing o esses in he alleys as hey eached he
s eppe, keeping he s eppe un il he Ku a Ri e unde con ol. This si ua ion pe sis s un il he
all o he al eady Ch is ian A shakunys in A menia (428 AD). The Sasanians, ying o c ea e
Kiel-UP •
h ps://doi.o g/10.38072/978-3-928794-95-4/p23
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a sepa a e adminis a i e uni om he in asions o he Caucasian ibes in he middle o he
5 h cen u y, uni ed he le and igh sides o he Ku a in o a kingdom ( hen in o a p o ince),
which is named Ran (in A menian sou ces, Agh ank), o which hey a ached A sakh and
U ik, sepa a ing hem om A menia. In he new adminis a i e-poli ical union, when people
had al eady adop ed Ch is iani y unde he hegemony o he A menian chu ch in he 5 h–6 h
cen u ies, p obably wi h he e o s o Albanian A sacid King Vachagan he Pious and wi h he
suppo o Je usalem, a new Chu ch was es ablished unde he name o ›Albanian Chu ch‹,
he mos educa ed pa o which was he A menian popula ion o A sakh and U ik. The Alba-
nian Chu ch, as a ule, accep ed he sup emacy o he A menian Apos olic Chu ch and ollo-
wed he same con essional doc ine and i uals. The A menian nobili y o A sakh and pa ly
o U ik main ained hei independen o semi-independen poli ical s a us un il he beginning
o he 19 h cen u y, be o e he conques by he Russian Empi e, and un il he dissolu ion and
me ge o he Albanian Chu ch, including i s dioceses, in o he A menian Apos olic Chu ch.
The people o A sakh and U ik, hanks o Ch is iani y, mas e ed he A menian sc ip u e and
li e a u e. Since he 5 h cen u y, hey c ea ed housands o Ch is ian s uc u es – monas e ies,
chu ches, chapels, ombs, a ious monumen s, and le abou h ee housand A menian in-
sc ip ions, hund eds o manusc ip s, which a e he A menian es imony in hese lands.
Acco ding o A menian sou ces, in he 20s o he 5 h cen u y AD, Mes op Mash o s, he
c ea o o he A menian alphabe , and his s uden Beniamin, c ea ed he Albanian alpha-
be based on he language one o he Albanian ibes li ing no h o he Ku a Ri e , he
Ga ga s. Un il ecen ly, only a ew b ie o agmen a y insc ip ions in his language we e
ound, on he banks o he Ku a Ri e om exca a ions a he Mingecha u a chaeological
si e. I is no able ha ill nowadays no Albanian insc ip ion has been ound in A sakh
o U ik, while he numbe o A menian insc ip ions om he 5 h–9 h cen u ies is abou
hi y. A he beginning o he 20 h cen u y, Albanian palimpses s we e disco e ed in he
monas e y o S . Ca he ine’s on moun Sinai, Egyp , which p o es ha ecclesias ical li e-
a u e in he Albanian language exis ed. I is no clea whe he his w i en language was
widely used in Albania i sel o ab oad, in Je usalem o Pales ine.
I A sakh occupies he mos moun ainous and oo hill lands o his pa o he A men-
ian Highland, hen U ik is mo e s eppe, s e ching o he Ku a Ri e . A sakh is a coun y
o i e alleys enclosed in he moun ains. To he eas , whe e U ik begins, he moun ains
ise in o he oo hills and join he s eppe. Two di e en geog aphical and na u al-cli-
ma ic en i onmen s condi ioned he dual his o ical-cul u al image: A s ong seden a y
popula ion in he moun ainous zone and cons an mo emen s in he s eppe. When he
poli ical o ces we e able o uni e he moun ains and he s eppe, he canals lowing om
he migh y i e s made he s eppe ui ul, o he wise i became a s age o he de as a ion
and igh ing o he mobile and mili an ibes. Since a leas he middle o he second mill-
ennium BC, he s eppe was co e ed by ag icul u al monumen s o by big ku gans o p e-
da o y and ich ibes. These bo de a eas we e also a zone o in e ac ion be ween many
cul u es, which is qui e e iden om a chaeological esea ch.
Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 469
The main pu pose o his a icle is o y o show o wha ex en he poli ical and eligious
p ocesses a ec he image o cul u e and wha can be unde s ood unde he e hnic image o
cul u e in such changing condi ions. These a e mo e p econcei ed no ions and hypo he ical
hough s han inal conclusions. This will be p esen ed in he a icle, i s by a chaeological
esea ch o Tig anake , i s La e Hellenis ic and especially Ea ly Ch is ian cul u e and by
Ea ly Ch is ian sepulch es- eliqua ies in Ama as and Vacha .
2. Tig anake in b ie
The La e Hellenis ic ci y o Tig anake , which is now unde Aze baijani con ol, is loca ed in
he Aske an egion o A sakh (Nago no Ka abagh), an in e na ionally un ecognized epublic
which has p oclaimed i s independence a he beginning o he 90s o he las cen u y a e
he A menian-Aze baijani wa . The ci y is loca ed in he lowe alley o Khachenage i e ,
which is he second la ges i e in he highland. I is sp ead o e he sou h-eas e n slopes o
Moun Vankasa and is adjacen o he slopes nea he Royal Sp ings (Shahbulagh) The ci y
which occupies mo e han 70.0 hec a es o he o iginal u ban a ea and ag icul u al en i ons
measu ing abou 4.0 squa e kilome e s, was disco e ed, esea ched, and p esen ed o he
in e na ional scien i ic communi y by he A sakh A chaeological Expedi ion, o which I ha e
he hono and esponsibili y o be he head.
1
Tig anake in A sakh is one o nume ous se lemen s ca ying he name o Tig an, ho-
we e i ’s he only se lemen ha has a p ecisely iden i ied loca ion. I is mo e han possible
ha he G eek geog aphe S abo (1s BCE-1s AC) was awa e abou Tig anake o A sakh
and men ioned Tig anoke a, nea Ibe ia (i.e. Geo gia) (S abo, 11 : XIV: 15). The i s men-
ion o A sakh’s Tig anake in A menian sou ces belongs o he 7 h cen u y his o ian Se-
beos.2 Desc ibing he Pe sian in asions o he Empe o o Byzan ium He aclius in 622–624,
he his o ian men ions wo Tig anake s si ua ed in A sakh and U ik.
In he le e o he A menian Ca holicos Eghia dec ibing he consul o Pa a in he ea ly
8 h cen u y,3 he e is in o ma ion ha he p ies Pe os o Tk ake (in some manusc ip s,
jus Tig anake ) pa icipa ed in he mee ing as well. Then, we ha e e idence om he 12 h,
18 h and 19 h cen u ies.
1 Pa o his a icle is al eady published by he au ho , see: Hamle Pe osyan, Poli ics, Ideology and Landscape (2021).
2 Sebēos, Pa mu ‘iwn [His o y] (1979), 135.
3 Aleksan Hakobyan, Ełia A čišec‘i ka ‘ołikosi no ahay ułi y. Եղիա Արճիշեցի կաթողիկոսի նորահայտ թուղթը. The
Newly Found Le e o he Ka ‘olikos Ełia A čišec‘i (1981), 150.
470 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
Fig. 1: Layou o Tig anake wi h ma ks o exca a ed a eas. © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS
RA – 2020.
Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 471
Du ing he 15 yea s o exca a ions, he ollowing sec ions o he ci y we e unco e ed
• he La e Hellenis ic
4
o i ied dis ic (1s c. BCE) and he ci adel (Fig.1: 1)
• he i s and second La e Hellenis ic dis ic s (Fig.1: 3, 9)
• he La e Hellenis ic ceme e y wi h jug and cis bu ials (Fig.1: 8)
• he Ea ly Ch is ian ock ca ed complex and a ocky canal nea he ci y (Fig.1: 7)
• he Ea ly Ch is ian ceme e y (Fig.1: 4)
• he Ea ly Ch is ian squa e wi h emnan s o wo chu ches, a memo ial s ele, an
Ea ly Ch is ian unde g ound eliqua y-sepulche , and a g a eya d (Fig.1: 2)
• he Ea ly Ch is ian sepulche and chambe on he op o he Tsi ssa moun ain sou h
o he si e (Fig. 1: 10)
As a esul o a chaeological esea ch, i is possible o alk abou a la ge esiden ial se lemen
wi h ad anced u ban planning and cons uc ion echniques ha was ounded in he i s
cen u y BC and has su i ed un il he end o 13 h cen u y.
Ancien Tig anake has been cons uc ed in acco dance wi h he ad anced Hellenis ic
u ban planning p inciples and mason y echnics: iangle model o planning o he o i ied
4 In case o Tig anake , he La e Hellenis ic pe iod includes he imespan om he ea ly 1s cen u y BCE o he end o he
3 d cen u y CE.
Fig. 2: Ai iew o o i ied dis ic . © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS RA – 2020.

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dis ic by using zigzag walls, s ong al e na ion o ec angula and ound owe s, oun-
da ion o o i ica ions exclusi ely on ocky base, quad as wi h us ica ion, be els wi h
›swallow- ail‹ connec ions, and usage o limes one cemen . All s uc u es we e made wi h
local whi e limes one, which ga e he ci y a whi e appea ance, making i isible om a a
(Fig. 2 and 3).
2.1 Tig anake ’s Ea ly Ch is ian squa e and he la ge chu ch
S a ing wi h he i s s eps o he a chaeological esea ch, pa allel o he exca a ions o he
Hellenis ic dis ic s, he expedi ion paid special a en ion o he medie al emnan s o he
ci y. In he cen al dis ic a la ge pi s e ched om wes o he eas and la ge masses o s one
walls we e isible be o e he exca a ions. Taking in o accoun he ac ha Maka Ba khu-
da yan s, in his desc ip ions o he a ea o Tig anake in he la e 19 h cen u y, speaks o he
uins o a as chu ch in he e i o y o Tig anake ,
5
we assumed ha he pi sp eading om
wes o eas could be a emnan o his chu ch.
5 Maka Ba khuda eanc‘, A sakh (1895), 20.
Fig. 3: The uppe pa o he no he n o i ica ion walls. © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS RA – 2009.
Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 473
In 2006, a pa o he pi , which oughly co esponded o he s uc u e o he apse and
he eas e n pa o he p aye hall ( his pa o chu ches as a ule has been be e p ese -
ed), was sepa a ed (a squa e o 5 me e s o he side) and exca a ions commenced. Only
a ew hou s la e , he i s abbey s one o he chu ch’s apse and he sou he n wall we e
opened a a dep h o abou 0.5 m. As a esul o he exca a ions in 2006–2009, he uins o
a la ge ea ly Ch is ian emple we e unco e ed a a dep h o abou 3.5 me e s.
The chu ch by i s composi ion belongs o he same ype o basilica da ing back o he
4-6 h cen u ies A menia and Caucasus. By i s a chi ec u al composi ion and deco a ion
i is he ea lies , mos ex ensi e and beau i ully deco a ed hall o i s size in he Eas e n
Caucasus.
O iginally, i was a single na e basilica ype chu ch wi h ou e i e- ace ed apse. La e ,
he i e-dimensional olume was inco po a ed in o he ec angula olume, and he sou -
he n sac is y was added, which had an en ance om he ou side.
In he ea ly chu ches, he main al a is usually one deg ee highe han he loo o p ay-
e hall and di ided in o a bema and a choi . I should be no ed ha , al hough he exis ence
o he choi in he ea ly chu ches is p edic able, a chaeologically i is he i s ixa ion as
eal a chi ec u al s uc u e.
Fig. 4: Ea ly Ch is ian squa e, gene al iew. © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS RA – 2019.
474 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
The chu ch was buil on a h ee-s ai ed basemen wi h la ge polished limes one blocks in in-
ne and ou e ows and wi h lime mo a and li le s ones in mid pa . I had a wes e n, sou he n
and no he n en ance, a co nice wi h c acke s and a wooden oo co e ed by ce amic iles. The
en ances had a pai o columns, comple ed wi h o namen ed capi als. Du ing he exca a ions,
nume ous examples o co nices, columns, hund eds o agmen s o iles and wo capi als we e
ound. The ca ing composi ions on he capi als ep esen in one case a c oss in he lumina ies,
and in he second case a c oss in he ga den en i onmen , bo h a e well-known ea ly Ch is ia-
ni y hemes. Especially no ewo hy a e he g ape ines (b anches, lea es, ca na ions, clo es) on
he second capi al, which a e ypical o he ea lies examples o hese composi ions.
Acco ding o p elimina y da a, he chu ch was des oyed and bu ned in he 8 h-9 h cen u ies.
The exis ence o such a la ge Ch is ian chu ch is an impo an a gumen in a o o he ac ha
Tig anake p ese ed i s s a us as an impo an se lemen in he ea ly medie al imes and ha
he es imonies o he ea ly medie al A menian sou ces a e acco dance wi h he a chaeological
esul s o Tig anake .
2.2 No he n cou ya d and he small chu ch
F om he a chi ec u al ea u es men ioned abo e we wan o s ess he wo no he n en an-
ces. I he p esence o he wes e n en ance was qui e na u al, and he p esence o he sou -
Fig. 5: The la ge basilica chu ch, he 5 h -6 h cen u ies, gene al iew om he sou h-wes . © Ins i u e o A chaeo-
logy and E hnog aphy, NAS RA – 2009.
Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 475
he n pai o en ances was na u al, conside ing he size o he chu ch and he p esence o he
pe is yle and bap is e y adjacen o he sou h, he p esence o he no he n pai o en ances
was ex ao dina y. Ea ly Ch is ian emples ypically do no ha e an en ance om he no h,
bu in some indi idual cases, due o lansdcape es ic ions whe e i was impossible o open a
wes e n o sou he n en ance, a no he n en ance was c ea ed. Howe e his is no he case
he e, since he chu ch is loca ed on a la plain wi h access om all ou sides. This ci cums-
ance was he basis o he assump ion ha he e was an impo an s uc u e (o s uc u es)
in he ya d adjacen o he chu ch, which is why a pai o no he n en ances we e c ea ed.
So a e he chu ch and he immedia e icini y o he sou he n cou ya d, we decided o con-
inue exca a ing he no he n pa . The expec a ions we e ully jus i ied as he exca a ions
e ealed a la ge pa ed cou ya d, wi h agmen s o an Ea ly Ch is ian memo ial s ella. The
s ella had a basemen , pedes al, column, capi al and a winged c oss. A small chu ch and
eliqua y-sepulche was unco e ed unde he eas e n al a o he chu ch and a g a eya d
adjacen o he wes e n pa o his chu ch. An a chaeological s udy o his sepulche se ed
as a basis o conside simila A sakh s uc u es and he e o ms o Vachagan he Pious.
Though om he chu ch only some blocks o i s ow and ounda ions ha e been p ese -
ed, i s layou , dimensional solu ions and cons uc ion a e comple ely unde s andable and
appa en . I had a ec angula layou wi h ci cula al a wi h i e- ace ed ou e appea ance,
Fig. 6: Small basilica chu ch and he g a eya d. © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS RA – 2014.
482 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
3. Religious e o ms o Vachagan he Pious and he
Je usalemi e legend o he o igin o he Albanian Chu ch
So a , we can speak abou h ee sepulche s, he speci ic aspec o which is he eas e n en -
ance.
12
Un o una ely, sepulche s wi h eas e n en ances a e unknown in he Middle Eas .
The e a e no such scalable solu ions o he well-known sepulche s-chapels known om o he
pa s o A menia (Agh sk, H ipsime, Gayane, Talin, Oshakan, Nakhcha an and o he s). The
only sepulche which has an eas e n en ance is he Lo d’s omb in Je usalem.
13
Acco ding
o ou p elimina y hypo hesis, we a e dealing wi h a eligious e o m, which ied o gi e he
Albanian Chu ch a special eligious and i ual iden i y (di e ing om he A menian Chu ch)
and is essen ially based on poli ical easons.
In his ega d, i is necessa y o pay special a en ion o he e o ms o Vachagan he
Pious in he las qua e o he i h o a he beginning o he six h cen u y, he pe cep ions
o Albania as an eas e n coun y and Yeghisha’s legend. The e o ms o Vachagan inclu-
ded he new hie a chy o Albanian Chu ch sain s (Zacha ia, Pan aleon, G igo is, G igo ,
H ipsime, Gayane) ia ›disco e ing‹ hei elics and cons uc ing chapels and eliqua ies
o hese elics (Sain G igo is – in Ama as, Sain Pandaleon – in Diu akan, Sain Yeghisha
– in J sh ik). In addi ion, he old chu ches go a new impe us o wo ship hanks o hese
elics.14 Second, i was he council o Aghuen which adop ed new egula ions o he Alba-
nian Chu ch and he socie y as a whole.15 He e, we do no dwell on he ques ion o Pa a
( he capi al o he s a e) – in he his o y o Vachagan i is no men ioned – mo e han likely
i was no he e ye .
In pa allel wi h his, as we ha e men ioned, he ideology o Albania as an eas e n coun-
y, which is wi nessed in Vachagan’s s o y16 and la e , was c ea ed o be di ec ly ela ed
o Je usalem as he cen e o he Ch is ian wo ld and o he sac ed opos o sal a ion. The
hagiog aphy o he Apos le Eghisha, who came o Albania om Je usalem ci cum en ing
12 Le us no e ha he eas e n en ance did no a all mean igno ing he dominan eas e n-wes e n ideological- i ual
di ec ion o Ch is iani y. This is e idenced by he spa ial esolu ion o he Sain G igo is and Tig anake ’s sepulche s,
Tig anake ’s sepulche niches and small chu ch di ec ion, and e en he wes -eas di ec ion wi h an eas e n al a o
second loo chapel o Sain S epanos sepulche . The eas e n en ance was also a ibu ed o an ea ly chu ch (4-5 h cc.?)
unco e ed in a chaeological si e Mingechau on he i e o Ku . Since, he e is no access o he h ee p ese ed walls o
he s uc u e and he eas e n abso p ion has no been p ese ed, Aze baijani a chaeologis Rahim Vahido concluded
ha he en ance was p obably om he eas (Rahim Vahido , Mingəče i III–VIII əs lə də [Mingehau in he 3 d–8 h
Cen u ies] (1961), 95-97). Rashid Gejuše supposed ha in his case he al a was in he cen e o he building, and he
en ance o he eas (Rashid Gejuše , Ch is ians o Ka ka skoj Albanii [Ch is iani y in he Caucasian Albania] (1984),
83). I is di icul o unde s and, how we can de ine a h ee walls s uc u e wi hou al a and en ance as a chu ch.
Exca a ions in Tig anake and Gya u kala (an Ea ly Ch is ian se lemen in icini y o Tig anake ), whe e none o he
h ee chu ches lack access o eas e n pa and ha e eas e n al a s, seems o ques ion such assump ions.
13 John Wilkinson, The Chu ch o he Holy Sepulch e (1978), 6–13.
14 Mo sēs Kałanka uac‘i, Pa mu ‘iwn Ałuanic‘ Ašxa hi (1983), 56–88.
15 Mo sēs Kałanka uac‘i, Pa mu ‘iwn Ałuanic‘ Ašxa hi (1983), 89–94.
16 Ibid.

Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 483
A menia, ully co esponds wi h his line o hough and is an a emp o a es o he Je u-
salemi e o igin o he Albanian chu ch.17
Thus, we ha e he sepulche s uc u es adap ed o he di ec ion o he Lo d’s omb a
he bo de o he 5 h-6 h cen u ies, he coun y’s eas e n ideology, he legend o he o igins
o Albanian chu ch om Je usalem. And we ha e a powe ul ule who ied o con ey an
independen s a us o his chu ch by means o eligious e o ms.
In his ea ly in es iga ions Alexan Hakobyan conside ed he Vachagan his o y (including
he »Aghuen’s ules«) as a »planned legend« c ea ed in he mid-6 h cen u y and hus ques-
ioned he his o ici y o he king himsel . Ou a chaeological indings and his o ical da a
seem o indica e ha hese app oaches and ideas we e o med poli ically ia a eal king and
eal e o ms.18 In ou opinion, i is he migh y king who would y o gi e o his chu ch ap-
p op ia e au onomy sui able o his kingdom (a ha ime, when A menia los i s kingdom,
became a Sasanid p o ince and los i s no h-eas e n p o inces A skah nad U ik), a p ocess
ha could be u he cla i ied and inalized in he ollowing cen u ies. Vachagan wi h his
e o ms, alongside Ch is ian-A menian adi ions, was ying o shape i s own adi ions
(Eas e n coun y, Je usalemi e Apos ol, »own« sain s). And one o he ma e ialized exp es-
sions o his is he eas e n en ance o he sepulche s.
Re u ning o he ques ion o e minology o hese cons uc ions, i seems mo e sui able
ha name eliqua y be used ins ead o sepulche . Because in all o hese cases we ha e no
e idence abou bu ials bu only s o ies abou disco e ies, ga he ing and pu ing he elics o
sain s in o buildings c ea ed o his speci ic pu pose.
F om his poin o iew, i is also ema kable ha Vachagan e ec ed a s ela o he place o
he ma y dom o Eghisha19 and ans e ed he elics o he sain o he J sh ik monas e y
o A sakh ( enamed he monas e y o Eghisha Apos le).20 I should be no ed ha acco ding
o some sou ces, he chapel o G igo is was buil di ec ly by command o Vachagan.21
17 Mo sēs Kałanka uac‘i, Pa mu ‘iwn Ałuanic‘ Ašxa hi (1983), 10–11.
18 In his la es wo k, Aleksan Hakobyan ela es he No el o Vachagan o he e y beginning o he 6 h cen u y (c . A. Hako-
byan, The C ea ion o a »Pious« Image o King Vač‘agan II (2021)).
19 As we ha e no ed, he emnan s o such a monumen we e unea hed also in Tig anake , in he cou ya d be ween wo
chu ches.
20 Mo sēs Kałanka uac‘i, Pa mu ‘iwn Ałuanic‘ Ašxa hi (1983), 12. The His o y o Kałanka uac‘i conside s he main a ea o
ac i i y o Yeghisha on he le bank o Ku i e . I co esponds o he oldes adi ion, up o he 19 h cen u y. Vachagan
p obably ied o shi some o he adi ions o ha ime o he igh bank o Ku , o he new A menian p o inces A -
sakh and U ik, adjacen o his kingdom, which p obably had mo e close ies wi h he A menian Apos olic Chu ch. And
wo new monas e ies named a e Eghisha we e es ablished: Nea Ama as and in he G ea K enq, o ename he las
om J sh k o Egisha monas e y. Acco ding o adi ion, Vachagan was bu ied in his las monas e y, whe e cu en ly
a 13 h c. mausoleum, an 11 h c. ombs one and a khachka a e p ese ed.
21 Mo sēs Kałanka uac‘i, Pa mu ‘iwn Ałuanic‘ Ašxa hi (1983), 82–83.
484 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
4. Some Tig anake indings conce ning he heme
In 2008, inside he e i o y o he la ge chu ch, a small ce amic disk (diame e 7.5–7.8, hick-
ness 0.5–1.0) was disco e ed (Fig. 13). A ci cle and an equally winged c oss on one side o he
disk we e eng a ed. The e e se had a po ai o a man wea ing a u ha , wi h a bea d and
mous ache was ca ed. The disk had a hole making i possible o a ach i o a box o sc oll.
So p obably i was supposed o se e as a seal. The e a e A menian insc ip ions on he disc,
he main insc ip ion eads ԵՍ / ՎԱՉ[Է] (կամ ՎԱՉ[ԱԳԱՆ]) / ԾԱՌԱՅ Տ[ԵԱՌ]Ն« (»I / VACH[E]
/ (o VACH[AGAN]) SERVANT OF L[OR]D«).
22
Examina ion o he disk, he cap ion and he A menian on s can be a ibu ed o he
5–7 h cen u ies. The name o Vache o Vachagan was a ibu ed o se e al people a ha
ime. Vachagan he Pious is he mos dis inguished among hem.
This inding o Tig anake is ac ually one o he oldes A menian eco ds ound in he e -
i o y o A sakh, and he bes a gumen o he ea ly Ch is ian-A menian image o he ci y.
22 Hamle Pe osyan, Agha ni Žamkoč‘yan, Haye en a janag u ‘yunne o ska aṙak A c‘axi TIg anake ic‘ [A Disk wi h A -
menian Insc ip ions om Tig anake in A sakh] (2009), 166–176.
Fig. 13: A clay disc wi h A menian insc ip ions om he
exca a ions o he la ge chu ch, he on side. © Ins i-
u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS RA – 2008
.
Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 485
No ewo hy is a glass bo le in he shape o ampho iskos ound in exca a ions a he
same chu ch (Fig. 14). The s o y o Sain G igo is’ elics is speci ically ele an and impo -
an since i alks abou wo glass bo les in which he blood o he sac ed Zacha ias and
Pandaleon was kep .23 Ou ampho iskos appea ance, made o da k blue glass, da es back o
he 5 h–7 h cen u ies and is no less likely o ha e se ed simila pu poses. Exca a ions o
he la ge chu ch o Tig anake also unea hed a clay oken wi h he scene o he C uci ixion
(?), he Pales inian-Je usalemian o igin is ye ques ionable.
The olk adi ion, which has eached us in he 19 h cen u y, connec s Vachagan he
Pious wi h he chu ch o Vankasa . »[…] he king o Albania Vachagan came o Shahbulagh
(i.e. Tig anake ) in his las yea s. He buil a monas e y on he op o he moun ain, whe e
he es ed in seclusion«.24
23 Mo sēs Kałanka uac‘i, Pa mu ‘iwn Ałuanic‘ Ašxa hi (1983), 81.
24 Egishe Haykuni, Ułegnac‘akan akna kne [T a el Guides] (2010), 39.
Fig. 14: Glass bo le om exca a ions o he la ge
chu ch. © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy,
NAS RA – 2007.
486 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
5. On Ch is ianiza ion o landscape as a u u e esea ch goal
The a chaeological in es iga ions o Tig anake ha e e ealed ou Ea ly Ch is ian complexes in
he ci y and i s su oundings: he Ea ly Ch is ian squa e in he Cen al dis ic , he chu ch o he 7 h
cen u y on he op o Vankasa moun ain, he Ea ly Ch is ian ca e sanc ua ies on he bank o Kha-
chenage i e and a eliqua y unea hed on he op o Tsi ssa in 2019 and da ed o he same pe i-
od. So we can see he eal ecul u alisa ion o he landscape in he Ea ly Ch is ian pe iod (Fig. 15).
I is in e es ing o cla i y how his o ganisa ion o landscape o Tig anake can be connec ed wi h
he e o ms o Vachagan he Pious and Je usalemian landscape and Ch is ian sac ed opog aphy.
In his lis o A menian monas e ies in Je usalem, Anas as Va dape , au ho o he 6 h
cen u y, lis s also he chu ches belonging o he Albanain chu ch ( his pa was copied by
Kaghanka a si, 285–286). I includes ele en Albanian monas e ies, se en o which we e
men ioned by name. The names o i e o hem can be iden i ied (Holy Vi gin o Pa a , Holy
Fo y In an s o M o , Holy Vi gin o A sakh, S . G ego y o Ama as, monas e y o Kalanka-
uik) and all i e a e loca ed in A sakh and U ik.
Fu he mo e, i he e i o y o he ac i i ies o Elisha and G igo is o iginally was he
le bank o Ku (which could be econs uc ed ia agmen a y p ese ed in o ma ion), i
is mo e han likely ha Vachagan’s eligious e o m’s key in ellec ual and i ualis ic cen e
Fig. 15: The Ea ly Ch is ian Tig anae ’s landscape: 1. The Ea ly Ch is ian squa e, 2. Vankasa ’s chu ch, 3. Ca e
sanc ua ies, 4. Tsi sa ’s sepulche . © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog aphy, NAS RA.
Pe osyan: Ea ly Ch is ian a chaeology and monumen s in he A menian-Aze baijani con lic zone | 487
and impac a ea was he igh bank o Ku , he A sakh and U ik p o inces o G ea A menia,
which we e joined o he Albanian kingdom no much ea lie han hose imes. The eliqua-
ies wi h he eas e n en ance and ela ed a cheological indings o A sakh g ea ly help o
cla i y he ci iliza ional milieu o he eligious e o m o Vachagan he Pious.
Thus, i in he case o ancien Tig anake we see he ob ious in oduc ion and in luence o
Hellenis ic ci iliza ion in he ield o o i ica ion, u ban de elopmen , bu mo e s abili y o local
adi ions in he ield o i ual, hen he examina ion o he ombs- eliqua ies o Tig anake , Ama-
as and Vacha gi es an oppo uni y o assume he p imacy o he poli ical- eligious si ua ion.
6. A e wo d
Du ing he 44-day wa in 2020, he Tig anake a chaeological si e was des oyed by shellings
(Fig. 16). The A sakh au ho i ies, he Tig anake a chaeological museum and ou esea ch
eam e acua ed he ma e ials om he exca a ions in o de o p ese e ou he i age om mo e
des uc ions. In case o peace, hey will be e u ned o S epanake and will be exhibi ed in he
museum dedica ed o i .
Fig. 16: The a chaeological camp o Tig anake a e enemy shellings. © Ins i u e o A chaeology and E hnog a-
phy, NAS RA – No embe 2020.

488 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
P ese ing, p omo ing and passing on cul u al he i age is an in e na ional and undamen al
igh o e e y people. The people o A sakh wo ies abou wha could happen o i s cul u al
he i age since i emembe s he des uc ion o housands o khachka s in Jugha in 2005–2006.
My colleagues and I a e willing o con inue he esea ch o A sakh’s cul u al he i age, i s
popula iza ion and will epo any ac o andalism. The scien i ic disco e ies in he ci y o
Tig anake and hei impo ance in he comp ehension o he ea ly Ch is ian his o y shows
ha he A sakh he i age is pa o a la ge his o y ha belongs o e e ybody. I ein o ces
he need o p ese e i wi h he coope a ion o he in e na ional au ho i ies and he coun ies
in ol ed in he con lic . Tig anake could hus be a join p ojec ha b ings oge he p o es-
sionals om bo h bellige en s a ound he p ese a ion o a he i age ha mus s ay common.
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Au ho
P o . D . Hamle Pe osyan
Head o he Depa men o Cul u al S udies, Ye e an S a e Uni e si y, A menia, in [email protected]
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