High on the summit plateau of Ughtasar Mountain, thousands of petroglyphs cover the dark volcanic rock in one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric rock art in the Caucasus. The carvings date to around 10,000 BC — hunters with bows, herds of now-extinct animals, scenes of ritual and daily life scratched into the stone by people who lived on this plateau when the climate was wetter and the mountains supported large game. The sheer number of images is staggering: individual boulders carry dozens of figures, and the carvings continue across the summit in every direction.
What makes Ughtasar particularly striking is the specificity of the animals depicted. Alongside goats and deer that still live in these mountains, the petroglyphs include species that have been extinct in the region for millennia — large bovines, and animals that have been tentatively identified as early domestic cattle in the process of being distinguished from their wild ancestors. Some scenes show hunting in coordinated groups, suggesting a level of social organisation that archaeologists had not always assumed for this period. The mountain summit, at over 3,500 metres, means the site was a serious destination even for its prehistoric creators.
Reaching Ughtasar requires a 4WD vehicle and either a local guide or good navigation — the mountain roads are rough and unmarked, and conditions can change quickly at altitude. The standard approach is from the Sisian area. The site itself has no infrastructure: no signs, no paths, no facility. You walk the summit plateau and find the carvings underfoot and on every exposed rock surface. Go early in the day; afternoon cloud and afternoon sun both make the carvings harder to read. Note that the coordinates given here (39.275, 46.003) are approximate — verify locally before relying on them for navigation.