Inscripții rupestre din Munții Armeniei: simbolism sacru și continuitate culturală
Rock-Carved Inscriptions of the Armenian Highlands: Sacred Symbolism and Cultural Continuity

Summary/Abstract: The veneration of rock formations in the Armenian Highland finds its most vivid manifestation also through rock-cut inscriptions. This practice reached particular prominence in the Kingdom of Van, especially from the mid-9th century BC, when, alongside the emergence of a centralized state structure, the cuneiform writing system was also adopted. In the Kingdom of Van, royal authority was considered to have been bestowed by the supreme deity, Ḫaldi; consequently, all actions were carried out in accordance with his will—a principle also clearly reflected in the rock-cut inscriptions. In any given historical period, the sacred text inscribed upon the rock has symbolized the mutual connection between the spiritual and temporal authorities of that era. This phenomenon remains evident in the post-Urartian and Hellenistic periods, and, ultimately, in Christian Armenia. Although medieval rock-cut inscriptions are fewer in number compared to the pre-Christian tradition, the surviving dozens of inscriptions—mostly commemorative or related to construction—along with rock-cut churches and khachkars, testify to the continuity of the phenomenon and to its distinct expressions across different eras.

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