Amazing stuff! Armenia's Stonehenge!
"Archeologists say they have finally cracked the 6,000-year-old mystery of Armenia’s “dragon stones" – massive carved monoliths scattered across high-altitude volcanic slopes and pastures where no ancient settlements ever existed. ...
New research ... is the first large-scale statistical and spatial analysis of 115 known dragon stones – or vishaps – to argue that these monuments were not markers of territory or myth, but deliberately placed totems of an early “water cult” whose rituals were tied to melting snow streams, springs and the seasonal movement of herding groups through the mountains. ..."
From the abstract:
"Vishaps, or dragon stones, are prehistoric stelae discovered in the high-altitude mountainous regions of modern-day Armenia and adjacent regions.
The first statistical analysis of their elevation distribution and size reveals that their construction was intentionally labor-intensive rather than arbitrary.
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. Furthermore, the unexpected bimodal distribution of their altitudes suggests specific placement patterns, potentially linked to seasonal human activities or ritual practices.
These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the symbolic and functional significance of vishap stelae within the framework of prehistoric social and religious systems."
Vishap stelae as cult dedicated prehistoric monuments of Armenian Highlands: data analysis and interpretation (open access)
The distribution and quantification of vishaps [dragon stones]
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