Munjuqlutepe Necropolis

Munjuqlutepe Necropolis
(2023)
The Munjuqlutepe necropolis is located in the Tatarly village area of the Goranboy district. The necropolis was recorded in 2007 by Associate Professor Muzaffar Huseynov, PhD in history. It covers an area of over 1 hectare. So far, 35 graves have been uncovered and studied at the necropolis. These are simple and earthen graves with no visible surface markers. Anthropological research proves that people of various ages and genders were buried here.
During the field research of 2023, 15 graves were uncovered and studied. A number of artifacts with distinct features of material culture were discovered among the graves:
– Assyrian and Egyptian-style ceramic vessels and ornaments.
– Bronze and iron weapons, including daggers, knives, and battle axes.
– Two bronze belts and various adornments.
– Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic clay vessels.
– Elegantly made black and brown polished pottery.
In the mainly rectangular and oval-shaped graves, the skeletons were buried on their right and left sides, in curled or semi-curled positions. The density of the graves is particularly noteworthy. Another notable aspect is the practice of double burials in some of the graves.
Of the 35 graves we examined, 2 contained double burials. In one of the graves, the skeletons of a man and a woman were found, while the other grave contained the skeletons of a woman aged 40-45 and a teenager (female) aged 14-15. Another grave contained the skeletons of a teenager and a child. It is likely that the first grave belonged to a man and his wife, and the second double burial to a woman and possibly her teenage daughter. In one of the graves studied in 2023, a seated burial position was observed. Rich material culture artifacts were discovered in the graves, including pottery, bronze and iron daggers, knives, and various ornamental items made from minerals.
At the Munjuqlutepe necropolis, we observe that female bodies are predominantly buried on their left side, while male bodies are buried on their right side.
Some burial practices noted in certain graves are of particular interest. For example, in grave No. 32, the body was buried in a seated position. The Munjuqlutepe necropolis also reveals a practice of placing pottery vessels over the graves during burial. The orientations of the graves and the bodies buried in them vary, and there is no consistent directional principle observed.
Among the archaeological materials obtained from the graves at the Munjuqlutepe necropolis, pottery vessels are predominant both in terms of quantity and diversity of types.
Most of the pottery vessels were found intact. They primarily include black polished drinking cups, jugs, and other similar items. The most commonly found ornaments are beads.
The human remains uncovered from the necropolis are well-preserved. Samples of these remains have been sent to specialized laboratories in Germany, France, and Turkey for various analyses.
Archaeological research on the graves, which are attributed to the middle and advanced stages of the Khojaly-Gedebey culture, allows us to trace the socio-political and socio-cultural processes that existed during the final stage of the primitive communal structure in Azerbaijan.
The discovery and investigation of the Galaboynu settlement, which is located 1.5 km south of the Munjuqlutepe necropolis on the right bank of the Naftalan river and is likely related to the necropolis, holds significant scientific importance.
Studying and analyzing the burial practices at the Munjuqlutepe necropolis provides insights into the religious worldview, social relationships, spiritual culture, and cultural-economic connections of the ancient inhabitants of the region. The inhabitants of the region during the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age settled in these favorable areas for centuries, leaving behind a rich material legacy.
Archaeological excavations in the Goranboy district, one of the areas where the Khojaly-Gedebey archaeological culture spread, have shown that various burial customs were practiced among the population in this region during the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age. This diversity is clearly reflected at the Munjuqlutepe necropolis. The structure and construction materials of the burial monuments from the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age indicate that religious beliefs played a significant role. The burial practices, such as extended, tightly curled, and occasionally seated or supine positions, are closely related to ethnic affiliation, social factors, and burial customs. Social inequality is clearly evident in the graves. This difference can be observed not only in the diversity of grave goods but also in the size of the graves. Nevertheless, these graves and the features observed within them reflect a shared ethnic-cultural development process.
The comprehensive study of the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age graves, the material culture remains, and the burial customs of the necropolis contributes to understanding the historical and cultural development levels of the ancient people who lived in the Karachay basin during that period. As in other regions, the ancient inhabitants of the Karachay basin also practiced various forms of burial ceremonies in accordance with their social and economic conditions and ideological views. The elaborate burial of individuals, the practice of placing food and other items in the graves, and the construction of altars near the graves, all reflect a respect for the deceased and a belief in their resurrection in the afterlife. The structure of the graves and the position of the bodies reveal the religious beliefs and views of the deceased, while the grave goods provide valuable insights into the social, economic, and cultural levels of the people from that period, as well as the religious ideology of the society to which they belonged.
The graves at the necropolis are situated very close to each other, with some even intersecting. The dense placement of surface river stones throughout the entire area of the mound indicates that this area was an ancient cemetery. The graves had distinct chambers, and the boundaries of these burial chambers are well-defined. The soil of the mound where the necropolis is located is very hard, while the soil poured into the chambers is very soft. The graves in the necropolis were constructed according to the same principle and were later covered with a mixture of river stones, gravel, and sandy soil, in accordance with the surrounding area.
The orientation of the graves and the bodies buried in the Munjuqlutepe necropolis is random, and there is no consistent directional principle observed.
There are various opinions and interpretations among researchers regarding the orientation of the grave chambers and the bodies. Although some of these theories have not been substantiated, it is evident that the orientation of the body in the grave had a specific meaning in the burial process. Based on the Mingachevir excavations, S.M. Gaziyev notes that the burial orientation of the bodies in the northwest-southeast direction is likely related to their connection with the dark world. In other words, positioning the deceased’s face towards the dark, sunless direction symbolizes their passage to the other world. Some researchers, however, relate the variation in the orientation of graves and bodies to the timing of the burial ceremonies during different times of the day. This reflects primitive beliefs and worship of the Sun. In South Azerbaijan, independent excavations were conducted in 1947-1948 at the necropolis on the northern slope of Hasanli hill, located on the southern shore of Lake Urmia. M. Rad and A. Hakimi, in their research, interpreted the irregular orientations of the burials in this manner, suggesting that the inhabitants of Hasanli oriented their burials based on the Sun. Therefore, the orientation of the burials changed depending on the time of year and the time of day.
- Dyson supports this idea, noting that in the mid-2nd millennium BCE to the early 1st millennium BCE, it is known that the ancient tribes of Hasanli worshiped the Sun—“the Great Fire God.” In the Munjuqlutepe necropolis, the bodies were buried in tightly curled or loosely curled positions. Generally, before the spread of celestial religions, as was the case throughout the world, including Azerbaijan, the dead were buried in tightly or loosely curled positions, on their backs, chests, or seated.
According to some hypotheses, the practice of placing the deceased in tightly or loosely curled positions in the grave symbolized that the deceased should be in the same fetal position as they were in the womb before their birth, even in the afterlife. Double burials, without a doubt, existed as a distinct burial practice. Various theories explain its emergence, and one possibility is that double and collective burials may have been prompted by epidemics and diseases.
Traces of the practice of burying animals alongside humans are also found in some of the burial monuments at the Munjuqlutepe necropolis. In several graves at the necropolis, animal bones have been discovered alongside human skeletons. In these graves, animals were buried either whole or in parts, along with the human burials. The animals with intact skeletons were either buried alive or after being killed. In both cases, this ritual served a common purpose: “the soul of the deceased had to be nourished with these offerings in the afterlife.”
The presence of animal bones in graves is related to the richness of the burial rituals at those sites. These animals were likely slaughtered and placed in the grave to serve as nourishment for the deceased in the afterlife. However, the discovery of bones from animals such as horses, dogs, deer, and camels in some graves suggests the presence of mythical religious beliefs associated with animal cults in the burial practices.
At the Munjuqlutepe necropolis, zoomorphic materials reflecting zoolatry have also been found. These include pottery with modeled heads of sheep and ram, as well as figures of snakes and birds, and depictions of snakes on pendants and bracelets. In grave No. 8 of the necropolis, a large pottery vessel has a neck and shoulder joined by a belt-like modeled decoration. On it, there is a symmetrical depiction reminiscent of a mace-shaped snake. Particularly notable are the modeled zoomorphic materials in the form of sheep or ram heads found at the necropolis. For instance, a pottery vessel discovered in grave No. 32 features a protrusion with a ram’s head on its rim, with the ram’s horns depicted in clear detail. This grave also features a seated burial.
Thus, the excavation of the Munjuqlutepe necropolis plays a crucial role in studying the burial customs of the region during the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age. The orientation and condition of the burials, the placement of grave goods, and other related aspects are of significant importance for understanding the burial practices of that period. A comprehensive analysis of the necropolis’s graves and the materials found has revealed that, during the mentioned period, the inhabitants of Munjuqlutepe practiced a variety of burial customs. Although some details of these practices have a local character, the majority are identical to the burial customs of the Khojaly-Gedebey tribes. Based on the comparative analysis of the archaeological materials, we can state that the graves date back to the 9th-8th centuries BCE. Further archaeological research at the necropolis is planned.
Muzaffar Huseynov