The gigantic stones of the Karahunge site (also known as Qarahunj or Karahunj) in Armenia are erected. A total of 223 recorded megaliths are known. The stones average 0.5 to 3 meters in height (from the ground) and weigh up to 10 tons. They are made of basalt, heavily eroded by time, and covered in mosses and lichens of various colors. The internal surfaces of the holes are in better condition than the rest of the stone. Many are broken and have not been catalogued. Of all the megaliths present at the site, only 80 have circular holes, and of these, only 37 (with 47 holes) are still standing in situ. The menhirs are of great interest to Russian and Armenian archaeoastronomers, who believe they were likely used for astronomical observations. Seventeen stones have been linked to sunrise and sunset during the solstices and equinoxes, while 14 are linked to lunar phases. However, doubts remain, due to the fact that the internal surfaces of the holes are not eroded like the external ones, and therefore they may not have been made in prehistoric times.
