This stela (plate VIIb) was found on the southern outskirts of Ts BC 51, 2.68km southeast (bearing 118°) of Tsaghkahovit fortress (map quad B5n).
The stela was found atop an eroded ridge top which marks the southern extent of Ts BC 51. Like the basin below which hosts the primary concentration of Ts BC 51, the ridge top bears the marks of considerable modern disturbance, including cement and other construction debris.
Like Ts Stela 1, Stela 2 was found lying on its side next to a large cromlech. It is made from grey basalt and the top quarter is broken from the remainder of the stone. The stela is 77cm high with a 21cm stem. The body is 20cm wide and 20cm thick where it joins the stem, but narrows to an uneven, rounded top 13cm by 13cm. The stem is recessed from the body 2cm and is 16.5cm wide by 17.5cm thick. Overall, the stela gives the appearance of rougher workmanship than Stela 1.
Like Stela 1, the overall shape of stela 2 suggests a stone phallus akin to those known from other Late Bronze Age sites, including Tsaghkahovit (Smith et al. 2003: 12). The association with the adjacent cromlech is again suggestive but there was no socket apparent in this burial where the Stela might once have rested. Thus, our attribution of the stela to the Late Bronze Age is only provisional pending a more detailed investigation of the surrounding area.
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