RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE NEOLITHIC MONUMENTS OF KARABAKH  

                                                                                                   (2013-2014 years)

According to the research plan, “Karabakh Neolithic-Eneolithic Expedition” continued the archaeological research of settlements belonging to the early farming and herding tribes of Karabakh. Thus, this year, the initial stage of electronic registration and mapping of monuments was completed, and archaeological excavations were continued in Ismayilbaytapa Neolithic and Farmantapa Eneolithic settlements, which are the main research objects of the expedition.

The discovery and archaeological research of new archaeological monuments, including those belonging to early-agricultural herder tribes, was stopped for more than 20 years as a result of the war of aggression waged by Armenia against our country. Finally, since 2010, the “Karabakh Neolithic-Eneolithic Expedition” has started electronic registration and mapping of archaeological monuments located in the territory of the Karabakh plain. At the initial stage, up to 50 archaeological monuments were electronically registered and mapped. Since 2012, the work of electronic registration and mapping of archaeological monuments in the Karabakh plain has been carried out within the framework of the grant allocated by the Science Development Fund under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. With the financial resources allocated by the fund, archaeological exploration was conducted over the course of one year, covering approximately 990 square kilometers, including the unoccupied territories of the Aghdam region and the northwestern part of the Aghjabadi region. A total of 169 archaeological monuments were electronically registered, and a “Map of the Archaeological Monuments of Karabakh” was created at a scale of 1:50,000.

125 of these registered monuments are the dwellings of early farming-herding tribes. This fact itself is a novelty for Caucasian archeology.

In 2014, 49 more monuments were registered and mapped as a result of archaeological explorations carried out in Agdam, Agjabadi and Barda regions.

During the registration, photos of the monuments are taken, and notes are made about their condition. As much surface archaeological material as possible is collected from each monument and photographed and graphed. Depending on the condition of the monument, their topo plan is drawn up. All this information collected about the monument is summarized and their electronic passport is prepared. The main goal of the passporting of the archaeological monuments of Karabakh is the creation of the “Collection of Archaeological Monuments of Karabakh” and the “Electronic Database”, and the main part of these works has already been completed.

In 2012, archeological excavations in the Neolithic settlement of Ismayilbaytapa, which is the main research object of the expedition, were started. In 2013, 2 more squares (3A and 2B) were added to the excavation area and its total area was increased to 400 sq.m.

                                                                                         Topoplan and excavation plan 1.

Before starting the work on the new squares, the remains of the buildings discovered during the 2012 excavations in square 1A, completely destroyed by natural and anthropogenic reasons, were cleaned and the square was prepared for a new excavation. During the cleaning work in this square, a part of the remains of building No. 9 was discovered.

After the completion of cleaning works in square 1A, excavations in square 2A were started. Initially, the remains of building No. 9, part of which was in square 1A, were cleaned and the upper part of its walls was exposed. The remains of building No. 9 belong to the II construction period of the residence. The diameter of this house, which has a circular plan structure, is 5.4 m, and the thickness of its walls varies between 30-45 cm (Figure 1).

Figure 1

 

The height of the house in its current state is 147 cm. During the construction, strawless clay bricks with dimensions of 40x19x13 cm and 35x15x12 cm were used (Figure 2).

                                                                                                               Figure 2

The walls were built by placing bricks parallel to each other. In the lower part of the house, the walls are slightly wider, and no cement mortar was used between the bricks. Most likely, the bricks were laid on the wall while wet. Such a construction technique could be applied to ensure the strength of such houses without foundations.

This year, only the wall of the remains of building No. 9, which falls on 2A square, was completely cleaned. About 1/6 of its interior was excavated and cleared, where four floor levels were identified. The I floor of the remains of the building was recorded at depths of -270 cm, II – 227 cm, III -173 cm, IV -154 cm. The floors are made of straw-free mud and are hard when pressed, their thickness varies from 7 to 11 cm. Floors III and IV are of greater interest due to the artifacts found in them. A household jar is buried in both floors. The height of the jar buried on the third floor, in the northeast part of the house, was 46 cm, and the surface was painted in a cranberry red color. Part of the pear-shaped jar was inside the wall. The surrounding area of the jar was reinforced with bricks. The jar became deformed and fractured (Figure 3).

                                                                                                                  Figure 3

Considering that we could not remove the jar intact in such a condition, we marked and removed the broken parts of the vessel. When we removed the fragments from the mouth of the jar, we discovered that sling stones were stored there. These sling stones differ in size and weight from all other sling stones discovered at contemporary sites. Resembling round balls, the sling stones were made from mud without straw, with diameters ranging from 8 to 13 cm, and weights varying between 150 and 400 grams. In the jar found on the third floor, 40 well-preserved sling stones were discovered.

An earthenware vessel of the sloshing type discovered at a depth of -148 cm on floor IV has a height of 35 cm, a mouth diameter of 45 cm, and a body and a base diameter of 50 and 30 cm, respectively. The vessel has a spout in the shape of a groove attached to its base (Figure 4).

                                                                                                                  Figure 4

The remains of the floor discovered in the remains of building No. 9 are also interesting from the point of view of studying the construction characteristics of this type of houses. As the excavations in the interior of the remains of this building have not been completed, it is still difficult to draw a general conclusion about its construction. Most likely, after the walls of the building collapsed for some reason, it was rebuilt and a new floor was laid on top of the ruins. Based on the floor levels, we can say that the remains of building No. 9 were restored and reused at least three times in time.

One of the most interesting architectural examples found in square 2A can be considered the remains of building No. 10 (Figure 5).

                                                                                                               Figure 5

The remains of the building were recorded at -1.50 cm in the southwestern part of square 2A. A part of it was discovered during excavations in 2012 and was registered as the remains of building No. 8. It has a circular plan and is built entirely of wet bricks without thatch. The height of the building, which resembles a truncated cone due to its shape, is more than 330 cm. In the upper part, a 65 cm high mud brick wall was built along its perimeter and the floor was laid with mud bricks. We put down a small exploratory drill to determine its lowest part, but because of the narrowness of the ground, we stopped digging. The most interesting aspect of the remains of the building is that its lower part was built at least 1.2 m below the natural layer of the hill. It is not known for what purpose the remains of this building, which has a diameter of more than 5 m, were built. Its dimensions, shape and purpose can be determined exactly after the excavations are completed.

The remains of building No. 12 are located in the central part of square 2A (Figure 6).

Figure 6

This building remnant, constructed from mud bricks without straw, consists of two rooms with areas of 5.6 and 5 square meters, respectively. During the construction, mud bricks measuring 35x13x16 cm were used, and the walls were plastered with a 5–12 cm thick layer of mud without straw. Mud with a thickness of 1.5–2 cm was used as mortar between the bricks. It should be noted that mud plaster was extensively used in the discovered building remains. The thickness of the plaster was directly related to the shape and condition of the wall, and in addition to its aesthetic function, it also ensured the wall’s durability. It is likely that this is the reason why plastering of different thicknesses is found in the remains of buildings found at the place of residence. Here, the width of the walls varies from 46 cm to 125 cm. In their current state, their height is about 50-75 cm. The partition wall separating the rooms was built adjacent to the main wall, and a hole was opened between them, probably with the function of ventilation. In the first room, adjacent to the partition wall, a hearth in the form of a well 135 cm long and 57 cm deep was discovered, and its width varies between 29-57 cm (Figure 7).

Figure 7

 

The main wall of the building remnant No. 12 is 4.7 meters long and was constructed adjacent to the building remnant No. 10. The height of the wall varies between 50 and 75 cm inside the house, depending on the level of the floor. The hearth we discovered here marks the final floor level of the building. From both the cleaning of the hearth and the exploratory trench we placed at the base of the wall, it is clear that the main wall extends to lower depths. Its lowest part can be traced down to -3.75 meters, where its height is 1.6 meters. This wall was built not on the ash layer, but on a firmer layer of bricks. It is not yet known to us whether this seal layer, which performs the function of “foundation”, belongs to the previous period of construction or was built specifically for the remains of building No. 12. Because the building remains are very dense, it reduces the possibilities of expanding the exploration field. In order to determine the sequence of construction remains in square 2A, it is necessary to conduct excavations in a larger area covering the lowest layers of the cultural layer, which the expedition plans to carry out in the next field research season.

The most interesting of the material and cultural samples discovered during the archaeological excavations in the remains of building No. 12 is a spherical object similar to a sling stone. The sphere found on the floor of room I (-2.95 cm) has a diameter of 48 mm and a mass of 218 g (Figure 8).

Figure 8

A spherical object, sharply differing in color and weight from clay sling stones, underwent elemental analysis in the relevant laboratory of the Institute of Geology of the National Academy of Sciences. It was determined that 98.654% of the object consists of iron. According to an initial hypothesis, the sling stone, made from iron ore and heavier than clay, was likely used by the residents of Ismayılbaytapa for hunting, as it would have been more effective.

Square 3A was added to the excavation site in 2013 and placed at the foot of the hill (Plan 1). We would like to note that in order to determine the complete stratigraphy of the monument, the excavation site in the Ismayilbaytapa settlement was placed in the eastern direction along the radius of the hill. Although no rich artifacts were discovered during the excavations in this square, it helped to obtain certain information about the structure and architectural features of the settlement in general.

Excavations in square 3A revealed the remains of a wall from -2.97 m, whose width varies from 50 cm to 90 cm. The length of the wall built on the natural layer of the hill is 5.4 m, it narrows towards the north and enters square 2A. The wall was built of clay bricks without thatch. Because the bricks are irregularly laid while wet, the wall is very strong and untidy. The surface of the wall is plastered with straw-free mud 3-5 cm thick. Based on the construction technique, condition and dimensions of the wall, we assume that it was part of the protection wall of the settlement (Figure 9).

Figure 9

It will be possible to give an accurate opinion about its purpose after the future excavations in squares 2A and 2B are completed. In the eastern part of the wall, 20-25 cm deep garbage wells dug in the natural layer were discovered. The wells consisted of an ashy layer, in which obsidian, bone and pottery fragments were found. The most interesting of the material-culture samples found in these wells is a clay figure. The 34 mm tall figure is made of pure clay, light brown in color. His head and one of his arms were broken off, and his lower part was rounded (Figure 10).

Figure 10

The figure was found at a depth of -3.95 m.

Apart from the wall and refuse pits, no other artifacts were encountered in the square. During excavations in other parts of square 3A, we observed that at a depth of -3.18 meters, a natural layer began, which did not contain any traces of human activity. This layer is light brown in color and rich in fine clay and sand. The abundance of sand and silt in this layer, which is approximately 50 cm thick, can likely be attributed to flooding. It is probable that this layer was formed as a result of such floods. It is also likely that the construction of a protective wall around the settlement and the thickness of the built walls were related to these floods. However, this is still a hypothesis, and a definitive conclusion can be made only after the excavations are completed and the results of the paleontological analyses are known.

From -3.76 m, the dark brownish-yellow layer began, which, in addition to being marly, is very strong. A small exploratory drill was placed in the southeast corner of the square and the marly layer was found to go deeper than -4.26 cm (Plan 2).

Plan 2

As a result of the excavations carried out in square 3A, we can note that when the foundation of the Ismayilbaytapa settlement was established, there was a natural hill with a height of about 1 m. It was this natural hill that was chosen as a place of residence by the early farming-cattle tribes.

During the 2013 field research season, the remains of building No. 15 were discovered during the archaeological excavations in the 2B square added to the excavation site (Figure 11).

Figure 11

The remains of the building are very impressive for their size. The main interest here is room I with wide and high walls, the area of ​​which is 12.5 sq.m. The walls of the room are reinforced with buttresses on three sides. The walls are made of strawless clay bricks measuring 40x15x18 cm. Straw-free mud was used as a mortar between the bricks, and its thickness varies from 1 to 2 cm. The walls are plastered both inside and outside with strawless mud. The thickness of the plaster is 3-12 cm, depending on the condition of the wall. The width of the walls of the remains of building No. 16 varies between 56 and 140 cm. The height of the main wall of room I is 344 cm. The wall is reinforced with a 55×53 cm buttress in the inner part (Figure 12).

Figure 12

This 1.4-meter-wide structure is the remnant of a large main retaining wall. According to our hypotheses, this wall originally functioned as a protective wall for the settlement during the early construction period. In a later phase, additional walls were added externally, turning it into a house. As evidence for our theory, we can point to the difference in levels between the main wall and the foundations of the added walls. The foundation of the main wall was discovered at a depth of -502 cm, while the auxiliary walls were found at -357 cm. The part we registered as Room I is a remnant formed during two construction phases. The structure of the walls clearly shows that Room I emerged later, during the second construction phase, as a result of the addition of new walls. The walls have no foundation and were built directly on the raw ground. The floor of Room I was plastered with mud without straw, mixed with ochre, and leveled with the ground surface.

The length of Wall No. 2 in Room I is 5.7 meters, and its width is 51 cm. The wall was reinforced with a buttress. The part of the wall below the buttress was constructed without any binding, simply connected to the buttress. In the eastern part of Room I, a wall remnant measuring 3.7 meters in length and 42 cm in width was discovered, but it has no connection to any other structure. Since the excavations in the square have not yet been completed, we cannot make a definitive statement about the original shape and condition of this wall remnant. It is possible that this wall remnant was constructed before Rooms I and II and belongs to an earlier construction period.

A second room adjacent to the first, located on its southern side, has also been recorded, with part of it included in square 2A. In order to determine the architectural structure of the second room and its connection with other constructions, a portion of the stratigraphic partition (“brovka”) between squares 2A and 2B was removed. For information, it should be noted that during the excavation of the partition, remnants of construction materials from the Soviet era were discovered. Depending on the level, the layer in this section was excavated and mixed down to a depth of approximately 50 cm. In the second room, the walls were constructed without foundations on the mainland. To provide ventilation or a connection between the two rooms, a hole with a width of 50 cm and a height of 44 cm was created between the first and second rooms. Specifically, during the construction of the wall of the second room, this hole was made, while in the first room, the wall was pierced to form the opening. The construction technique of the second room and the position of the hole lead us to the conclusion that it was built after the first room. Thus, the wall between the first and second rooms consists of two parts. When the second room was being built, a wall was constructed parallel and adjacent to the southern wall of the first room. Based on the construction structure of the hole, we can say that it was made at that time in this wall. To ensure the connection between the rooms, a similar hole was later carved into the wall of the first room. The height of the walls in the second room varies from 1.3 to 1.75 meters depending on the level. The walls here were plastered with mud without straw. No traces of a hearth were found inside the room. The southern part of the second room was likely destroyed during later construction works. In general, square 2A is of more interest with its artifacts. This square is essentially a key point of the excavation area, and completing the excavations here is important for resolving controversial issues.

During excavations in square 2B, remnants of two storage jars were also discovered. The jars were placed at a depth of -360 cm on the mainland. The upper parts of the storage jars were damaged during the agricultural-excavation works carried out here. In their current state, their heights are 25 and 30 cm.

One of the most interesting facts that caught our attention during the excavations of rooms I and II, which belong to the remains of structure No. 15, was the discovery of sling stones (118 pieces) (Figure 13).

Figure 13

Based on their size and structure, they can be divided into 3 groups (Figure 14).

Figure 14

The spherical sling stones are larger and made of raw mud without straw, and their dimensions have been provided earlier.

The second group of sling stones resembles lemons in shape. Their length is 7-9 cm, and their width is 4-5 cm. They weigh between 150-240 grams. Only 4 pieces of this type of sling stone were discovered during the excavations.

The third group of sling stones are small and resemble pine cones. Their length is 2-3 cm, and their width is 1.2-1.7 cm. These sling stones weigh between 40-75 grams, and this group of sling stones is known from contemporary sites in Mugan and Mil-Karabakh. During the excavations at the Ismayilbaytapa settlement, 19 sling stones of this type were found.

Since sling stones of the I and II groups have only been found in the excavations of the Ismayilbaytapa settlement among contemporary sites, we found it appropriate to refer to them as Ismayilbaytapa-type sling stones.

The longest wall remnant recorded during the excavations in square 2B is a wall along the western side of the square, extending in a northwest-southeast direction, with a length of 8.1 meters. The bricks used in the construction of this wall differ in color from those found in the remnants of other structures throughout the excavation site. The bricks used here were cut from yellowish-brown clay, without straw, and are more fragile compared to other bricks. During the excavations, after the plaster was cleaned, these bricks were found to be susceptible to sunlight and humidity, causing them to deteriorate rapidly.

During the archaeological excavations at the Neolithic settlement of Ismayilbeytepe in 2013, a total of 2,603 pottery fragments and two whole vessels were discovered. Both whole vessels were found on the floor of structure No. 9, and they have been mentioned above. Of the pottery fragments, 494 pieces (19%) belong to the rims of the vessels (Figures 15-17), and 158 pieces (6%) belong to the bases (Figures 18-19).

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

The recorded pottery bases are flat in shape. There are 4 fragments of bases with double holes or spouts (Figure 20).

Figure 20

Additionally, 1,951 fragments (75%) are samples whose forms cannot be identified. No handles were found among the pottery artifacts. There were 11 fragments where the rim was bent inward toward the interior of the vessel, which we assume was done to facilitate easier transportation (Figure 21).

Figure 21

As a result of the study of the pottery fragments, it can be said that the vessels did not have a wide variety of forms. Based on the shape of the rims, it was possible to identify the following types of vessels: pots (23 pieces), pans (17 pieces), plates (14 pieces), jars (57 pieces), jugs (167 pieces), bowls (64 pieces), cups (151 pieces), and mugs (1 piece).

The pottery was made from clay mixed with various additives. Plant-based fragments are predominant, with a total of 2,239 pieces (86%). There are also 104 samples (4%) in which non-organic additives such as sand and small stones were added to the clay. These samples have technically untreated and very rough surfaces. In addition, fragments with both non-organic and plant-based additives were found, totaling 260 pieces (10%). These samples stand out for their durability. It is likely that ancient potters used this combination to increase the strength of the vessels.

The pottery vessels were shaped by hand using the coiling method. Some fragments show evidence of vessels being formed in two stages. This method was observed in thick-walled vessels.

The surfaces of the majority of the pottery fragments were treated technically. The surfaces of the vessels were treated using slip and engobe. The surfaces of 937 fragments (36%) were slipped. Although the slip was applied very skillfully on many examples, in most cases it was done roughly.

27% of the pottery, or 703 pieces, were engobed. Simple engobes in light brown and reddish-brown colors were mainly used. When conducting a theoretical-statistical comparison of the pottery discovered in 2013, we observed an increase in the quantity of painted pottery. More than 35% of the samples (927 pieces) were painted with crimson color paint, and 11 fragments were painted with chestnut-colored paint.

Against the background of the increase in painted pottery (Figure 22), the number of decorated patterned samples found is not very large (6 pieces), but they are interesting in terms of their motifs.

Figure 22

Primarily, geometric patterns were used, and the choice of motifs and the technique of applying the patterns are very simple and crude. Besides painting and patterning, two other patterning methods were used here. The first and most widely applied method is a stamped pattern resembling nail-like impressions (Figure 23).

Figure 23

These patterns were made by pressing tools that left nail-like or claw-like impressions on the damp surface of the vessels after they were shaped. During the excavations, 83 such patterned fragments were found. The second pattern type, embossed relief decoration, was found on only one fragment. To conclude the classification of the pottery, it should be noted that the firing quality of the fragments varies. Fragments with thicker walls have darkened interiors and were unevenly fired. It is highly likely that large vessels, fired in open fires, were not evenly heated due to irregular heat distribution and, therefore, were not as durable. In contrast, thinner-walled fragments were fired with better quality. It is assumed that smaller vessels, fired in pottery furnace or special pits, are of higher quality compared to larger vessels.

In the archaeological excavations conducted in 2014 at the Neolithic settlement of Ismayilbaytapa, only a small amount of material culture samples was discovered compared to previous years. During the excavations of structure No. 15, which dates to the early construction period of the settlement, a significant decrease in pottery artifacts was observed. During the excavation of room No. 1, only 72 pottery fragments were found, most of which were located around the large reference wall. This year, the excavations resulted in the discovery of 205 pottery fragments and 2 jar remains. The pottery artifacts were made with straw and some were painted in bright red. It was observed that examples with stamped patterns diminished and completely disappeared in the lower layers.

During the 2013 excavations, very few stone tools were discovered. These included flint fragments (11 pieces), a boulder (Figure 24), 2 fragments of carved white stone vessels (Figure 25), and obsidian tool fragments.

Figure 24

Figure 25

To determine the chronological period of the site, samples taken from the uppermost construction layer were subjected to C14 analysis in Israel, which determined that this layer dates to the 2nd quarter of the 6th millennium BCE.

Concluding the classification of the archaeological excavations at the Ismayilbaytapa Neolithic settlement conducted in 2013-2014, it should be noted that the excavations in this square have clarified several issues regarding the site’s stratigraphy, the thickness of cultural layers, construction phases, and techniques. It was determined that the thickness of the cultural layer in this section exceeds 5 meters, and construction remains from two distinct building periods were identified and studied. One of the main distinguishing features of this settlement from other archaeological sites in Karabakh is its architectural characteristics. The earliest construction period is represented by buildings with rectangular plans, while circular and oval-shaped houses are found in the uppermost layer, reflecting the later construction phases of the settlement. These architectural features are not characteristic of contemporary sites in Azerbaijan or the South Caucasus.

The observed features at the Ismayilbaytapa settlement allow for initial generalizations about the ethnic and cultural interactions in the Karabakh region during the first half of the 6th millennium BCE. The study of the site is of particular significance for understanding early Neolithic settlements, the differentiation of Neolithic sites, and issues related to cultural, social, and economic life in both Azerbaijan and the broader Caucasus region. Given the uniqueness of the site, conducting more extensive archaeological excavations is essential.

The brief results of the archaeological research conducted by the “Karabakh Neolithic – Eneolithic Expedition” during 2013-2014 are as follows:

In the Karabakh plain, for the first time, an electronic registration of archaeological sites was conducted over an area of approximately 1,200 square kilometers.

For the first time in Azerbaijani archaeology, an electronic archaeological map at a 1:50,000 scale – “Map of Archaeological Sites in Karabakh” – was created. The map includes 215 archaeological sites, 141 of which date to the Neolithic-Eneolithic periods.

An electronic passport was prepared for each of the registered sites.

The first volume of the “Collection of Archaeological Sites in Karabakh” has been prepared for publication.

Archaeological excavations have begun at the Farmantapa Eneolithic settlement.

At the Ismayilbaytapa Neolithic settlement, the excavation area was expanded to 400 square meters, and many unique artifacts related to the period’s architecture and economic life were obtained.”

 

Khagani Almammadov

Nasir Guluzada