Giant stone monuments older than Stonehenge were built by an ancient 'water cult', archaeologists say
It remains a mystery how the ancient people dragged the pillars up into the mountains
Vishwam Sankaran
Tuesday 23 December 2025 10:10 GMT
Giant “dragon stones” found across the Armenian highlands were shaped and installed by an ancient “water cult”, archaeologists revealed in a new study.
The pillar stones carved in animal shapes and dating to over 6,000 years ago are found across the mountainous regions of Armenia and neighbouring countries. They predate the Stonehenge megalithic structure in England by almost a thousand years.
The pillars, locally known as vishaps, measure between 1.1m and 5.5m tall. They are carved from local stones such as andesite or basalt and can be found at elevations of 1,000m to 3,000m above sea level.
It remains a mystery how ancient inhabitants of the region dragged the pillars through such harsh terrain and set them upright. But a first systematic analysis of the pillars across the Armenian highlands does offer an insight into the people who installed them.
More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/ancient-monument-armenia-stonehenge-water-cult-b2889364.html
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These giant monuments are 1,000 years older than Stonehenge and share an interesting connection with water.
by Rupendra Brahambhatt
December 22, 2025
Vishaps at a site in Armenia. Image credits: Sonashen/Wikimedia Commons
Archaeologists have struggled to explain why, 6,000 years ago, people dragged these giant monuments into frozen, harsh, high-altitude terrain—often above 2,700 meters—where snow limits human activity to just a few summer months. Some argued they marked territory, while others saw them as purely symbolic or decorative. However, nobody could confirm the exact purpose these silent stones served.
A new study now reveals the clearest answer yet. The stones were built for worship, and not for decoration or as territory markers. But this wasn’t your typical pagan cult.
“The findings support the hypothesis that vishaps were closely associated with an ancient water cult, as they are predominantly situated near water sources, including high-altitude springs and discovered prehistoric irrigation systems,” the study authors note.
Scattered across Armenia’s highest mountains are giant carved stones that seem wildly out of place. Some stand taller than a two-storey building, yet none of these mysterious vishaps or dragon stones sit near known archaeological sites such as ancient villages.
Vishaps at a site in Armenia. Image credits: Sonashen/Wikimedia Commons
Archaeologists have struggled to explain why, 6,000 years ago, people dragged these giant monuments into frozen, harsh, high-altitude terrain—often above 2,700 meters—where snow limits human activity to just a few summer months. Some argued they marked territory, while others saw them as purely symbolic or decorative. However, nobody could confirm the exact purpose these silent stones served.
A new study now reveals the clearest answer yet. The stones were built for worship, and not for decoration or as territory markers. But this wasn’t your typical pagan cult.
“The findings support the hypothesis that vishaps were closely associated with an ancient water cult, as they are predominantly situated near water sources, including high-altitude springs and discovered prehistoric irrigation systems,” the study authors note.
Taking a closer look at the giant monuments
Dragon stones come in three main typologies: Fish-shaped stones (piscis), stretched cattle-hide shapes (vellus), and hybrid forms combining both motifs. Researchers from Yerevan State University and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography analyzed 115 vishaps across the Armenian Highlands, using a combination of GPS mapping, elevation analysis, precise stone measurements, and radiocarbon dating.
Credit: npj Heritage Science, 2025.
This is the first study to do so at this scale. Until now, dragon stones had never been studied in such large numbers. The researchers combined landscape mapping, stone measurements, and carving details to look for patterns that single-site studies had missed.
One detail stood out immediately. Every vishap is polished on all sides except one narrow end.
“The majority of vishaps are either collapsed or placed horizontally on the ground. However, all three typological groups of vishaps exhibit carving and polishing on all faces, with the ‘tail’ invariably left uncarved. This consistent feature strongly suggests that vishaps were originally positioned upright,” the study authors said.
More:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/dragons-stones-connected-to-water/
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