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Image Credit: MEDIACRAT, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dragon Stones Point to Organized Society in Ancient Armenian Highlands
A new study suggests that prehistoric (dragon stones) or (vishapakar) in the Armenian Highlands may reflect the existence of an organized society capable of managing large-scale ritual and water-related activities around 4000 BC.
The study examines vishaps, monumental stone stelae carved from volcanic rock and often decorated with animal imagery. These stones, some measuring several meters in height and weighing several tons, are found across high-altitude landscapes in the Armenian Highlands, especially around Mount Aragats and the Geghama Mountains.
Researchers argue that the placement of these monuments was not random. Many vishaps were set up in remote, water-rich mountain zones, often at elevations between 1,200 and 3,200 meters above sea level. Their distribution shows a notable pattern, with many large examples located at high altitudes where the season for construction and transport would have been short and difficult.
This labor-intensive placement suggests that the stones were connected to a water cult. The study links their locations to prehistoric irrigation systems, including reservoirs, canals, and water-collection points that helped direct mountain snowmelt toward agricultural areas.
One of the most important sites is Tirinkatar on Mount Aragats, located at about 2,700–3,100 meters above sea level. The site contains the largest known concentration of vishaps, with 12 examples, and radiocarbon evidence indicates that some were erected around 4200–4000 BC.
The researchers suggest that such monumental work required coordinated planning, shared beliefs, and organized labor. In their view, the vishaps reflect not only religious practice but also the social capacity to manage water resources in a challenging mountain environment.
The study presents the dragon stones as rare evidence of how spiritual life, irrigation, seasonal pastoralism, and social organization were connected in the prehistoric Armenian Highlands.
Published on: 04-05-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: npj Heritage Science
