A groundbreaking new study has finally cracked the 6,000-year-old mystery surrounding Armenia’s enigmatic dragon stones, known locally as vishaps. Researchers have discovered these massive prehistoric monuments were deliberately positioned at high altitudes as part of an ancient water cult that dominated the Armenian Highlands for millennia. The comprehensive analysis provides compelling evidence that these fish-shaped megaliths served as sacred markers connecting mountain water sources to the valleys below.
The study, published in the prestigious journal npj Heritage Science, represents the first comprehensive statistical analysis of Armenia’s vishap stones, examining 115 monuments scattered across the country’s mountainous terrain. Led by Vahe Gurzadyan of Yerevan State University and Arsen Bobokhyan from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, the research team discovered that these ancient builders invested enormous labor in transporting multi-ton stones to elevations exceeding 2,700 meters (8860 ft) above sea level, defying practical expectations, reports Popular Mechanics.