Under the leadership of Associate Professor Tavakkul Aliyev (PhD in History), the Mil-Karabakh expedition conducted archaeological excavations at the Galatapa city site (Agjabadi district). Research conducted in recent years suggests that this settlement is the remains of the Albanian city called Enian or Ayniana, mentioned by Strabo in Antiquity, and the Greek city mentioned in the works of Arab authors in the Middle Ages.

Topographic plan of Galatapa                   View of Galatapa from the south

 

In the current research season, the main focus has been on the investigation of excavation area II at Galatapa, specifically squares D1 and D2. Here, a cultural layer was opened up to a depth of 2.6 m, the remains of buildings built of baked and mud bricks, an oven, a farm well, etc. has been discovered. Both the remains of the building and separate findings allowed to determine the stratigraphy of the studied monument, including 4 construction layers.

                                                                              Check the remains of the building in the ditch

In the first construction layer, buildings were mainly constructed from fired bricks, agricultural wells cut through the lower cultural layers, and various types of glazed vessels, as well as unglazed pottery such as bowls and cauldrons, were widely found. This construction layer corresponds to the period leading up to the first Mongol invasions. The second construction layer, which dates to the 11th-12th centuries and contains rich artifacts, also shows similar characteristics. In the third construction layer, raw brick was the dominant material in construction. Early glazed pottery found in this layer allows it to be dated to the 9th-10th centuries. The fourth construction layer is sparse in archaeological materials, with some fragments indicating that it belongs to the Early Middle Ages.

Square D1, at a depth of 2.6 meters, was entirely covered with raw brick alignments. Here, square-shaped bricks (40 x 40 cm; 42 x 42 cm, etc.) bound together with mud and coated with plaster were predominant. A similar brick alignment was also uncovered in a test trench outside the fortress wall.

During the excavation, parts of a beautifully decorated glazed plate were found in the northwestern corner of square D1. In its center, there is an image of a bird surrounded by visually appealing small circles. A broken unglazed ceramic lamp was also discovered in the IX-X century layer of the same square. Unlike similar examples, the wick inside the lamp has remained intact to this day, and it still retains the smell of oil.

                                                                                          Mud brick layout in square D1

Among the clay artifacts of Galatapa, various lids of different sizes and designs, as well as a wide range of bowls and cauldron-type vessels, have been found. Metal and glass artifacts are also among the discoveries. Particularly interesting are well-crafted obsidian blade-like slabs and scrapers. These findings indicate the existence of an earlier settlement in and around Qalatapa. In square D1, three rod-shaped iron rings, a tube-shaped bronze object, and a needle were found. Additionally, a medieval copper coin was discovered in the surrounding excavation area.

 

Metalwork and obsidian tool                                          Unglazed pottery                                                              Part of a glazed plate  

The research conducted this year at Galatapa is significant in terms of studying the transition from the Late Antique period to the Early Middle Ages. The test excavations carried out around the fortress wall provided more information than expected, and it is planned to expand these excavations in the future and merge them with square D1. This will allow for a more detailed study of the structure of the fortress walls from both the Antique and Medieval periods.

Tavakkul Aliyev