Were Armenia's Ancient Fish Menhirs Built by a Water Cult?

Описание: In the highlands of Armenia, thousands of metres above sea level, sit hundreds of menhirs known locally as vishaps or dragon stones. These ancient megalithic monuments are carved to look like either fish or bovid hides or a combination of the two. Research suggests they date to the Chalcolithic and that they are associated with other archaeological features, as well as prehistoric irrigation systems. Now a new paper published in the journal npj heritage science suggests that they may have been erected by a water cult more than six thousand years ago.

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✨ IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 Introducing Armenia's Highland Vishaps
00:52 Armenia’s Ancient History
05:27 Analysing the Vishaps

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✨ REFERENCES

Gurzadyan, V., Bobokhyan, A. Vishap stelae as cult dedicated prehistoric monuments of Armenian Highlands: data analysis and interpretation. npj Herit. Sci. 13, 435 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-01...

✨ PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS

Google Earth
Locations

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Figures from the paper referenced above

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Kura–Araxes pottery fragments and obsidian from the Shengavit settlement, credit: XenonX88 
Map of Uratu, credit: Sémhur 
Zorats Karer hole in megalith, credit: Marcin Konsek
Vishap reused as a lintel in the cathedral of Avon, credit: Beko
Front of fish vishap in Yerevan, credit: Alina.Parazyan
Geghama Mountains vishaps, credit: Karen Tokhatyan
Fish vishap in Yerevan, credit: Alina.Parazyan
Vishap at Kristapor, credit: Albero

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Karashamb goblet, credit: Yerevantsi

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Vishap on slopes of Mount Aragats, credit: Beko
Two vishaps, credit: Toneyan
Metsamor site, credit: uncredited
Vishap with a snow-covered Mount Aragats in the background, credit: uncredited

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Armenian highlands, credit: ahmet soyak 

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Vishap not in original location, credit: Hayk

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Vishap on Mount Aragats, credit: Vahe Martirosyan
Davthashen, Vishap, credit: Vahe Martirosyan
Zorats Karer, credit: Rita Willaert 
Yeghegnadzor, Vishap, credit: Vahe Martirosyan