The site is located 22 km from the center of Jalilabad city, 3 km from Üçtəpə (Uchtepe) (village, 19 km from the Bilesuvar–Jalilabad road, and directly adjacent to the road leading from Cəfərxanlı (Jeferkhanly) village to Jalilabad city, near the village cemetery. The site is accessible both through the village of Cəfərxanlı and from the direction of Jalilabad. The mound where the Paşatəpə settlement is situated has an oval shape, with a surface area exceeding 1 hectare and a former height of nearly 9 meters. The site is bordered on two sides by roads, and residential houses and gardens have been built on one side. Taking advantage of the anarchic period of the 1990s, people attempted to build houses by digging into the mound. However, upon encountering numerous human bones, construction was halted. As a result, the upper layer of the site was disturbed, and the removed soil was pushed by tractor and dumped at the lower slopes of the mound.

Archaeological excavations at the site were first initiated in 2022 under the direction of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Vefa Mahmudova. The remains of a large Neolithic village were uncovered in this area. To date, a residential quarter measuring 4.80 x 7 x 3 meters has been excavated, along with surrounding dwellings with dimensions of 2.35 x 1.7 m, 3 x 1.5 m, and 1.20 x 2.20 m.

On the periphery of the residential quarter, an area presumed to be designated for ritual activities was discovered. The floor of this 2.65 x 5 m space was plastered with clay. In the upper part, a small circular formation with a diameter of 0.5 cm was created, while in the center a larger circular area with a diameter of 0.80 m was constructed. Two rows of small channels were carved in the central part, likely intended to facilitate the circulation of some kind of liquid.

Two pottery kilns were unearthed at the site. The combustion chamber and firebox of the first kiln, found in the third construction layer, were documented. A similar pottery kiln has previously been identified at the Alikomektepe site in the Mughan region. However, in terms of chronology, it can be asserted that the pottery kiln at Paşatəpə is the oldest in the Caucasus and unique among Neolithic sites.

As a result of three years of research, four construction layers have been identified at Paşatəpə. In the first layer, a pottery kiln with nine chambers and four burials were found. The second layer revealed a hearth, a house floor, and eight burials including a double interment. In the third layer, the remains of another pottery kiln were unearthed. The fourth construction layer yielded the remains of mudbrick houses, a ritual area, and two partially excavated burials.

Prof. Dr. V. Mahmudova

Oxuma sayi: 446