Carahunge, the Stones with Holes
Hundreds of standing stones on an Armenian hillside have holes bored through them, and some say they were aimed at the stars.
What was reported
Zorats Karer, also called Carahunge, is a prehistoric site in southern Armenia with more than 200 standing basalt stones, some up to 3 metres tall. Dozens have a smooth hole a few centimetres across bored near the top.
From the 1990s some researchers proposed it was an ancient observatory, with the holes aimed at the Sun, Moon and stars, and claimed it was far older than Stonehenge.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists have found Bronze Age burials at the site, and many consider the observatory theory speculative: the stones may have been moved, and the holes could have had other uses. The site's age and purpose are still argued over.
- When
- Thousands of years old
- Where
- Zorats Karer, Syunik, Armenia
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and astronomers
- Status
- Disputed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.