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Rocks in Armenia
Jermuk, VII.2001;
pict. M. Tailly		 Jeghegnadzor, 20.VIII.2002;
pict. A. Anselin		 Rock spotter with a new find

First yell could have been it's the UK-group again, but that's only too easy, because any design with a big rock and some smaller ones shows a resemblance with similar signs (e.g. U.K., and U.S.A. or South-Africa). The sample is still a bit too small for conclusions, but it looks like Armenian rock signs are a kind of their own, certainly if we consider the other finds as well.

It was in Iran that I was asking myself how absent-minded one has to be to mount a rock-sign upside down. Pressed by our scientific watchguard I started to think things over again and came to a new plausible reason for the high frequency of signs upside down. Our finds here are a clear showcase.

It's easy to see that you can't rotate the second sign to obtain the first. It's a mirrored sign. Notice that our pictures show that the cliff is at the right side next to the road.

     Now, imagine this. You are the worker trusted to plant the warning sign. You arrive at the dedicated spot. You dig a hole and plant the pole. You do it at the right side of the road because that's where roadsigns belong in a country where convention asks to drive near the righthand side of the road. Now you are ready to mount the triangle. You are probably whistling a happy tune, because the job is almost done. Just some screws and ... finished.
But then. Disaster.

If you follow the instruction sheet, the triangle warns for a danger at the left-hand side. You suspect an error and start rotating the thing until it fits the situation. The one valid solution becomes only visible in the driving-mirror. Obviously too late for a warning. What would you do ?

Next best is to drill new holes and mount the panel the best you can. And that's exactly what we see in Iran and in Jeghegnadzor. Thus rotated roadsigns are proof of smart roadworkers and not of what I thought earlier.

Dilidschan, 24.VIII.2002;
pict. A. Anselin
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More signs from Armenia: Men at work - Children's crossing
Signs from Karabagh: Men at Work - Children crossing - Falling rock signs