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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gurzadyan, Vahe, Bobokhyan, Arsen
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.02991
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Table of Contents:
  • Vishaps -- dragon stones -- discovered in the Armenian Highlands convey a remarkable message about the spiritual and social character of their epoch, c. 4000 BC. The unexpected bimodal distribution of their elevations indicates the deliberate, labor-intensive placement of these massive stones -- some weighing up to 7--9 tons -- in locations where the period suitable for construction activities at high altitudes was extremely limited. Their positions, correlated with nodes of previously identified prehistoric irrigation systems, support the interpretation that they were dedicated to a cult of water. This evidence points to the existence of an organized and unified society capable of sustaining and maintaining such a resource-intensive cult.