Bronze and Iron Age in Azerbaijan
[1][2][3][4] In 1890 research was conducted by Jacques de Morgan in the mountainous areas of Talysh near Lankaran revealing more than 230 burials at different archaeological sites dating back to Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages.
[1][5][4][6][7] In 2012-2013, the French-Azerbaijani archaeological expedition (named Nabialla) explored the necropolis and burial traditions belong to the Bronze-Iron Age in Lenkaran (Lerik province).
This period is characterized by the Kur-Araxes culture which extended beyond the territory of today's Azerbaijan to the whole Transcaucasia, north-west Iran, Eastern Anatolia, Daghestan, Northern Caucasus, Syria and Palestine and other areas.
Polished dishes, ceramic patterns, bronze and bone objects belonging to the Kur-Araxes culture were revealed in the territory of the Ovchulartepesi in Arpachay valley.
In Xoshbulag, Dashkasan, stone-covered kurgan-like burials were found where corps were buried on by one on their back, bent from the joints, heads positioned to West.
[1] During this period, much larger settlements were established, social and property inequality among the population started to increase, more sustainable relationship between the tribes resulted in emerging separate ethnocultural commonalities.
[2] Besides, cyclopean areas in mountainous territories started to be used from this period as strengthened settlements built with huge parts of rocks in order to protect the possessions of the tribal unions.
The remnants of this period were more commonly found in Nakhchivan (II Kul-tepe, Chalkhangala), Gobustan (Boyuk dash site), and Aghdam (Uzerliktepe), Karabakh (Garakopaktepe), Gazakh (Dashsalahli).
[18] On the III layer of the, I Kul-tepe were found wall remnants of four-shaped houses, monochrome and polychrome clay pots and stone tools.
[4] Burial mounds from the Nakhchivan, Karabakh, Lankaran, Ganja-Kazakh and Shaki-Zagatala regions belong to late Bronze-early Iron Age were studied comprehensively by O. Habibullayev, S. Ashurov, V .H.
The late Bronze Age in Azerbaijan is known for the cyclopean castles which were mainly observed in the Lesser Caucasus region (Dashlitepe, Nagaradagh, Chobandashi, Pir Galachasi, Garatepe).
The burials were mainly characterized by kurgans, simple sand graves and stone boxes encircled with cromlechs (observed mainly in Gobustan, Karabakh, Nakhchivan, Talish regions).
[4] The ship drawings depicting the Gobustan rocks showed that there were water and road trade links with the countries of front Asia and the Middle East during this period.
[20][21][22] In July 2024, discovery of the 3.500 year-old dining room with lots of ceramic remains was announced in Tava Tepe in Agstafa by the archaeologists from the University of Catania and the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
According to the archaeologists, evidence of burning, along with the remains of bowls and glasses made from black burnished ceramics found throughout the excavation area, suggests that the archaeological site was used for food preparation and consumption.
[23][24][25] Archaeologist Walter Crist from the American Museum of Natural History found a Bronze Age board game (4000 year - old) named “Hounds and Jackals” or “58 holes” in Gobustan National Park in 2018.
