January 06, /ASBAREZ/. I can’t help but connect this to our Ardavazt legend, except turned upside down so it’s actually a positive. Instead of Ardavazt’s release from his chains through his faithful dogs’ efforts bringing forth Armageddon, Ragnarok, Apocalypse, or whatever eschatological (end of the world) variant you prefer, we’re saving the world. The world of Armenia. The eastern portions of Artzakh, to be more specific.
I was at what can only be described as an exciting lecture on December 21 at the Merdinian Armenian school. Dr. Hamlet Bedrosian, an archaeologist, spoke about the initial excavation he conducted in the summer of 2006. He presented convincing case that what they unearthed was Dikranagerd. Of course this is not THE Dikranagerd, capital of Dikran the Great’s empire, but another city he’d built. The lecture and the dig were sponsored by the Yergir Union, a group primarily involved in resettlement efforts in our homeland.
The unearthing of such a 21-century old city has tremendous ramifications, given its location. It is a little north of what used to be the city of Aghdam. Not only would it add much to our understanding history and life in ancient Armenia, but, it would reconfirm our ties to those lands, once again undercutting any Azeri/Turkic claims.
A project such as properly unearthing a whole city, buried for centuries, is a decades-long undertaking as Dr. Bedrosian pointed out. It’s a lifetime’s work. It’s a work of love. It’s a work of national pride. It’s a work, in this case, of serious national importance to Armenia. It’s a work of international proportions and ramifications, as Azerbaijan has been whining about these efforts to the world. That alone should convey the gravity of this effort.
The idea of unearthing, layer by layer of soil, stones, and relics, releasing this Dikranagerd from its “chains” is incredibly inspiring and reminiscent of the Ardavazt myth, as far as the unleashing goes. This ancient city could become an incredible tourist site. Can you imagine the creeps in Baku seething as our homeland reclaims its heritage and benefits by it too? It’s a great vision.
Contact Yergir USA through Sahag Arabian by calling (818) 469-8167or emailing him at sahagarabian@hotmail.com, or visiting yerkir.org. Offer your support. Spend your summers out in the archaeological field reconstructing the pieces of our past by helping dig them up. Make a contribution. This is great. It’s almost like finding our Troy.
Transliterations in this piece follow Western Armenian phonetic conventions.
ASBAREZ, 1/6/2007 – by Garen Yegparian.
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