Goytepe Neolithic Era Settlement

 

In the Tovuz region, the main research object of the archaeological expedition is the Goytepe archaeological complex, which is one of the largest ancient settlements in the South Caucasus region dating back to the 6th millennium BCE. The site is located 340 meters from the main road and covers an area of about 2 hectares. Its diameter is 145 meters, and its height is 9 meters. It is situated 10 km east of Tovuz city. Excavations conducted in previous years at the ancient settlement have shown that the site reflects the developmental stage of the Neolithic period. From this area, complexes built with thick raw bricks (large and small circular structures), interconnected residential houses, protruding walls, hearths, and stoves, among others, have been uncovered. The small buildings, constructed in a circular architectural style, are connected to larger structures through wide walls. As a result, an internal courtyard of the buildings was formed. The buildings, organized in small neighborhoods, reflect innovations stemming from the social and economic developments of the period. The well-preserved condition of the building structures discovered during the excavations not only highlights new scientific issues regarding their functional nature but also makes it possible to prepare a virtual reconstruction of the buildings.

In the area where the Goytepe ancient settlement is located, there is a notable presence of Neolithic period settlements. Small Neolithic villages, situated 1 to 2 km apart from each other, indicate that local ancient tribes settled in near to one another.

Since Neolithic societies in Azerbaijan consisted of settled early agricultural tribes, traces of the high activity levels of Neolithic inhabitants can be observed in ancient settlements. In this respect, Goytepe is one of the most interesting Neolithic sites not only in our country but also in the region.

The first reason is that Goytepe, with its 10-meter cultural layer, is studied in a stationary and thorough manner, unlike other Neolithic sites. The richness of the archaeological materials found in the cultural layer during excavations and the stratigraphic analysis of the building structures have provided significant scientific information about the Neolithic period. Excavations have been conducted over an area of 1,000 square meters for 8 years. During these excavations, later phases of the cultural layer were extensively investigated. The detailed stratigraphic study of the site has revealed 13 architectural horizons. This means that the ancient settlement at Goytepe underwent construction processes 13 times during its existence. In the 2013-2014 excavation season, the 14th building horizon and a new point on the site were discovered in the northeastern corner of the mound.

FIELD WORK:

In the last two excavation seasons, research continued in the 2B, 3B, 1B (every 100 square meters), and 4B squares at Goytepe. Previous excavations in these squares had uncovered interconnected circular-plan buildings from the upper layer of the ancient settlement. In these years, the excavation focused on deeper cultural layers in the mentioned squares (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.

         

2B SQUARE

Excavations in this square first began in 2008. During these initial excavations, building horizons from the upper layer of the ancient settlement (reflecting the last period of occupation) were studied. In the following years, continued and expanded excavations in this area revealed older building horizons of the ancient settlement. In this square, six interconnected circular structures (loci 1-6, at an elevation of 365.80 meters) with partition walls cleaned of soil, and two hearths, were uncovered. According to stratigraphic analyses, these structures and hearths are associated with the 4th level (building horizon).

In addition, within the courtyard of the building remains uncovered in the 2B square (locus 3), a thick layer of ash was accompanied by numerous archaeological finds. Among the finds discovered in locus 3 of the 2B square, a notable item is a complete ceramic vessel and a clay figurine. The clay figurine, 3 cm in height, is decorated with stamped patterns. The figurine was found in the gray-ash mixed soil surrounding the complete ceramic vessel (see Fig. 2).

Fig. 2

The largest building structure found in the 2B square (locus 2) was in a deformed state (see Fig. 3).

Fig.3.

 

The walls of this large structure, made of raw bricks in ten rows, were not immediately visible. It is suspected that due to the building’s large size, the upper part of the eastern wall may have collapsed over time, obscuring the entrance and covering part of the building. It is believed that this large structure, built with raw bricks and with a diameter of more than 5 meters, served as a communal building for the tribe.

The stratigraphic analysis of the wall remains of the mentioned large building suggests that this structure was initially constructed in the 5th level and, like other structures in the 2B square, was also used in the subsequent 4th level.

3B SQUARE

The first phase of archaeological excavations in this area began in 2010 and was extensively investigated in the current year (2013-2014). During the excavations, a large circular structure (locus 10 of 3B) and other smaller buildings connected to it (loci 6, 7, and 9 of 3B square) were uncovered in the northeastern part of the square. In the western part of the square, a separate building complex (comprising several interconnected circular houses forming a small courtyard) was cleared of soil. A sufficiently wide corridor was recorded between the two building complexes, which also had its own courtyard area (a bitumen lump was also discovered in the middle of the area).

In the southeast corner of this square, the foundation of the circular structure was made of black-brown raw bricks, while the upper part was constructed with yellow raw bricks. Similar structures made of raw bricks (e.g., a circular building from the 4th level in 3A square) are also observed in other squares of Goytepe, but the specific purpose of using these colored bricks remains unknown.

In the western part of the square, a large building with a diameter of 4.2 meters was uncovered. Although it is smaller compared to the large structure in the 2B square mentioned earlier, its construction technology is identical to that of the large building in the 2B square. Therefore, it is also likely that the structure in 3B-1 square had a public function (see Fig. 4).

Fig.4

4B SQUARE EXCAVATIONS (4BIIX SHURF)

In addition to the continuous excavation work conducted on the upper part of Goytepe, excavations are also being carried out in the northern corner of the mound. This is done with the aim of requiring a short time for the analysis of the entire stratigraphy of the ancient settlement at the base of the mound.

By 2011, ten building levels had been identified through excavations at Goytepe. In 2012, to determine earlier levels, a small trench measuring 2×2 meters was dug in the northeastern corner of the 4B square. During the excavation of this trench (4BIIX), remains from the 10th level of the ancient settlement were found, as well as construction remains from the 12th and 13th levels (see Fig. 5). In the subsequent seasons (2013-2014), excavations focused on the mentioned trench.

Fig. 5. Building Remains

12th Level

The height of the wall of a circular structure made of raw bricks, extending from the south to the northwest, is 1.4 meters. The yellowish-brown raw bricks are arranged in one row at the top, three rows below it, and two rows at the base. The wall’s construction includes both whole and partial bricks. Ash-mixed gray clay was used to bind the raw bricks together, and small pebbles were occasionally visible in the clay (see Fig. 6). The floor of this wall structure had numerous fragments of brick rubble (4BIIX-107).

Fig. 6

13th Level

At this level, previous excavations revealed a neatly constructed sloping wall made of yellow raw bricks (no structures from the 12th level were found). In the current season, the remains of the 13th level structure were fully cleared of soil. Excavations indicate that the well-built wall has been well preserved by natural factors. The height of the uncovered brick wall is approximately 150 cm (see Fig. 7). The wall consists of at least 10 layers of raw bricks, with the corners tapering from bottom to top. It is still unknown whether the interior is filled with raw bricks, as it has not yet been excavated. Its function remains unclear. It may have been built to prevent water erosion and slope sliding or could be the foundation of a large structure. In either case, the discovery of similar constructions in other corners of the mound in previous years, and the presence of such walls with perfect masonry only at the base of the ancient settlement, provides some insight into the potential primary function of these walls.

Fig.7.

14th Level

Below the 13th level, the size of the excavation area began to decrease. Here, beneath the 13th level, an artificial water well (drainage) extending in the northwest direction was uncovered (see Fig. 8).

Fig.8

From its cross-section, it is clear that the well consists of soft, brownish-yellow soil, with no finds or organic remains. Beneath the brownish-yellow soil, a thin layer of sand and then a layer of gravel were discovered. This stratigraphic sequence indicates that the 80 cm thick brownish-yellow soil in this part of the mound is raw soil.

Thus, the excavations during the 2013-2014 seasons revealed the subsoil (raw soil) of the Goytepe ancient settlement. This allows for the precise determination of the level of initial habitation by the early settlers of Goytepe (i.e., the 14th level). Consequently, it has been established that the Neolithic cultural layer of the Goytepe ancient settlement is 11 meters thick.

The presence of the 14th level at a depth of 11 meters is notable for its uniqueness compared to any Neolithic site in the western region of Azerbaijan and makes a significant contribution to current research (see Figs. 9-10).

 

Over the past seven years, the extensive excavations at the Goytepe ancient settlement have garnered significant attention among Neolithic residential sites. Accordingly, the accurate determination of the architectural remains’ structure, spatial arrangement, and stratigraphic variability provides highly precise and valuable insights into the structural changes in the social organization of Neolithic societies. During these seasons, stratigraphic analyses were conducted in the 2B, 3B, and 4A squares. The stratigraphic consistency of the uncovered circular structures was carefully examined. New information related to Neolithic architectural remains and stratigraphic analyses carried out in the respective squares was obtained during the field research. To fully understand the stratigraphic divisions of the various structural remains in the 2B and 3B squares, measurements were carried out in meters. The measurement work included the following: the internal and external diameters of circular structures, the height of residential floors, the height of walls, and so on. Regarding the doors of each circular structure, they are consistently characteristic for all these structures. This can be explained by the fact that the doors were opened in the unexcavated parts of the circular structures or above the wall remains. Relatively small circular structures were used for storage purposes or had their doorways filled with raw bricks when the inhabitants abandoned them. Lastly, it should be noted that the raw bricks in the doorways are separated by vertically aligned bricks on both sides. An example of this can be seen in the outer wall of the 2B-5 square. In the southern part of the structure located in the eastern part of the 3B-7 square, a doorway made of brown soil is prominent. The entrance is closed with black-brown raw bricks.

The investigation of the architectural remains at Goytepe offers intriguing insights into Neolithic settlements with sophisticated structures. Stratigraphic studies have not only revealed the stratigraphy of each building but also identified various aspects of the construction conditions. Future research, along with the analysis of the discovered artifacts, will demonstrate the functions of these structures.

The cultural layers dating to approximately 5750 and 5300 BCE (based on about 50 radiocarbon C14 and C12 analyses) and displaying several architectural horizons can be considered the most complete Neolithic building horizons identified in Azerbaijan and the broader region to date.

GULIYEV, Y. NISHIYAKI, F. HUSEYNOV, K. SHIMAGAMA, H. NAKATA, P. GASIMOV, V. ALEKBEROV, SH. SELIMBEYOV, S. ABBASOVA, V. AHMEDOVA, S. ARAY