"While it might be true," Parsamian says of Herouni's dating, "and I would be very happy if it were proven true, investigations like this must be made over time, and carefully.  When I first saw that the observatory at Metsamor was  as old as it is,   I presented my findings before an audience of archeologists and astronomers.  I can tell you there were many of them who were skeptical.  There was a great deal of 'Who is this astronomer telling us how to date things.'  I held my breath." 

Parsamian's calculations were nothing less than a revolution in scientific circles.  More than a few archeologists refused to admit the credibility of her study.  "Archeologists have to touch things," Herouni said when asked about dating processes.  "They look at artifacts and then compare them to other artifacts.  They can't always believe that such a thing as star calendars exist, that you can in fact more accurately determine dates through astronomy than by comparing jars and pots with surrounding rocks."   

Parsamian cautions Herouni in his conjecture.  "I will never say 'something is so.'  It is never 'so'.  It has to be studied and proven or denied by more than one man's ideas."   

To Herouni, it is a credit to Parsamian's pioneering work that he was able to make calculations he did to arrive at a date.  And he welcomes further investigation, "to deny or confirm the date of origin," he adds with a smile.   

Whether 5th millennium or 3rd millennium BC, the age of the site is impressive, since it predates the henges in the in the west.   If Herouni is right, then the stones at Sissian are about 2000 years older than Stonehenge.  Shattering history, indeed.

Parsamian first noted the 'coincidence' of the Karahundj with its translation into English, an Indo-European language like Armenian. 

"The word 'Karahundj' is a complex word, made up of 'Kara' (from stone) and 'hundj'.  'hundj' is very close to 'henge.'  So Kara-hundj translates into Stone-henge."

The tricky part is 'henge' and 'hundj'.  There are no modern equivalents for these sounds in English or Armenian, both are ancient roots that have evolved into other words over time.

Parsamian adds, "The philologist Babkin Chukasian told me that in old Armenian the word 'hundj' may have been 'pundj' which means bouquet.  Over time, we think they changed it to 'hundj' which is very close to the English 'henge'.  Gerald Hawkins supposed that 'hundj' might be an old version of the word 'hung' or 'hang', which would make Stonehenge 'hanging stones."

Herouni thinks that "hundj" is a variant of the Armenian word for voice ('hunchuin'), and the name Karahundj means "Voice Stones" or "singing stones".  He notes that at the March equinox, hundreds of people visit Stonehenge in England to listen to the stones, as the winds whistle through them. 
"Most people know England's Stonehenge, but there are others in England, Scotland, Ireland, even in Iceland and Brittany.  One in the Hebrides  is called 'Kalinish'.  The first part 'Kali' is close to the Armenian 'Kara'.  And 'nish' is a precursor of the Armenian 'n'shen' which translates into 'sign'.  A town near another henge in England is named "Karnak", but in old English it was "Karnish," which is close to the Armenian for Stone Sign."  

What is fascinating to word buffs, whatever the real meaning of the words, is that the first part is identical between Armenian and English.  "here you have two identical words in different languages," Herouni says. "Stone and Kar.  And the village has had that name since anyone can remember.  I don't think its a coincidence.  Logic tells me there has to be a single source.  This is Armenia's Stonehenge."

Parsamian bristles at the idea. "There is only one Stonehenge," she says. "It is in England.  Yes, there are hundred's of 'megalithic' monuments or henges in the world, which we find only in Europe—we don't find them in India, or in Egypt, even the Mesopotamian Ziggurats were not built in this way---" 

"But there is only one Stonehenge."