Zaur Hasan oglu Hasanov was born on July 22, 1969, in the city of Baku. Beginning in 1998, he started independently researching the Scythian problem. As a result of this work, he authored the monograph “Royal Scythians.” The monograph was published in 2002 in New York by Liberty Publishing House. In 2005 the monograph was published in Azerbaijani in Baku, in 2007 in Persian in Tehran, and in 2009 in Turkish in Istanbul.

From 2004 to 2008, Zaur Hasanov was a doctoral candidate in the Department of “Ancient and Medieval History of Azerbaijan: Exhibition and Collections” of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan of ANAS, conducting research on the topic “The Cimmerians and Their Place in the History of Azerbaijan.” He defended his dissertation in May 2008 at the Dissertation Council of the A.A. Bakikhanov Institute of History of ANAS in the specialty of National History. In 2009, he was awarded the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences by the Higher Attestation Commission. From 2008 to 2012 he worked as a leading researcher in the Department of Ancient History of Azerbaijan at the A.A. Bakikhanov Institute of History of ANAS. Since 2012 he has worked part-time, and since 2013 full-time, as a leading researcher in the Department of Classical Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of ANAS. Between 2014 and 2017 he worked as a leading researcher in the Institute’s Scientific Exhibition Department. Since 2018 he has served as Acting Head of the Department of Classical Archaeology. Since November 2021 he has held the position of Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs of the Institute.

Beginning in 2010, he conducted research for his doctoral dissertation titled “The Scythians and Their Place in the History of Azerbaijan” in the Department of Ancient History of Azerbaijan at the A.A. Bakikhanov Institute of History. On June 23, 2023, Zaur Hasanov defended this dissertation in the specialties of National History and Archaeology, and in December of the same year he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences by the Higher Attestation Commission.

In order to present the results of his research to the international scholarly community, Zaur Hasanov has delivered papers at major conferences and round tables devoted to issues in history and archaeology in Hungary, Greece, Italy, Austria, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, the USA, Korea, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine.

He is the author of a number of important scientific articles and two monographs. In 2013, by decision of the Scientific Council of the International Turkic Academy, his monograph “Social and Cultural Values of the Scythians” was published in Astana. The research was carried out within the framework of the grant project “Social and Cultural Values of the Ancient Turks: A Historical Analysis,” awarded to Zaur Hasanov by the International Turkic Academy for 2011–2013.

In 2016, as an employee of the Institute, Zaur Hasanov won a grant project of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Programme titled “Knowledge Exchange and Academic Cultures in the Humanities: Europe and the Black Sea Region, Late 18th – 21st Centuries.” The project was implemented between 2017 and 2021.

In 2018, Zaur Hasanov was appointed by the Presidium of ANAS as the national coordinator for the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie projects. This appointment was officially confirmed by the European Commission, and he continues to perform these duties successfully.

Between 2019 and 2021, Zaur Hasanov led the Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan International Archaeological Expedition in the Sheki district, conducting field research at a number of important sites. Since 2022, he has headed, on behalf of the Institute, the fieldwork of the Azerbaijan–Korea–Switzerland International Archaeological Expedition at the Iron Age Yedditepe kurgans in the liberated territories of Karabakh. At the same time, he serves as co-director of the Azerbaijan–Turkey–Kazakhstan international archaeological expedition at the Yedditepe kurgans located in the Gizilkend area of the Imishli district.

  1. Гасанов, Заур. Царские Скифы: Этноязыковая идентификация «царских скифов» и древних огузов. New York, “Liberty Publishing House”, 2002, 486 с.
  2. Гасанов, З. Г. Социально-культурные ценности скифов: древних ашгузов/ишкузов/гузов. Астана: Тюркская академия, Prosper Print, 2013, 392 c.
  3. Haszanov, Zaur. A „don/ton” kimmer-szkíta hidronim. (Macar dilində) Kimmer-İskit hidronimi don/ton. // “Magyarország és Azerbajdzsán: a kultúrák párbeszéde”. Budapest, 2008, november 18-20. III Nemzetközi tudományos konferencia. kötet. Budapest, 2009, s. 91-105.
  4. Hasanov Zaur. “İskit” etnoniminin okunuşu. // İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Dergisi. Sayi 50, (2009 / 2), İstanbul, 2010, 1-10.
  5. Haszanov Zaur. Módszertani hibák a szkíták eredetének iráni verziójában. (Macar dilində) İskitlərin İran mənşəyinin metodoloji səhfləri.// Eleink – Magyar őstörténet. XVII, No 1, In memoriam Harmatta János. s. 68-81.
  6. Гасанов З. Г. Погребальный обряд как основа выявления собственно скифских курганов Азербайджана. В.: Blajer, Wojciech (ред.) Peregrinationes archaeologicae in Asia et Europa: Joanni Chochorowski dedicatae. Krakow: Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Profil-Archeo, 2012, c. 519-527.
  7. К проблеме лингвистического, социального и мировоззренческого состава скифской империи. // Экспертный круглый стол посвященный истории кочевых цивилизаций в Приднепровье (скифы). 15 марта 2013 г. Сборник докладов. Днепропетровск, 2013, с. 6-13.
  8. A Reflection of the Cimmerian and Scythian Religious Rites in Archaeology. // Bieliński et al. (ed.) Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Volume 3. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2014, 527-539.
  9. Hasanov Zaur. Suffix –t as an Indicator of Plurality in the Ethnonyms of the Royal Scythians. In: Emiroğlu Ö., Godzinska M., Majkowski F. Discusions in Turkology. Warsaw: Department of Turkish Studies and Inner Asian Peoples, University of Warsaw, 2014, pp. 646-655.
  10. “Argimpasa – Scythian goddess, patroness of shamans: a comparison of historical, archaeological, linguistic and ethnographic data”. // Djaltchinova-Malec E. E. (ed.) Art and Shamanhood. Bibliotheca Shamanistica Volume 15. Budapest: Akademiai Kiado, 2014, pp. 73-93.
  11. Иссыкская посвятительная надпись. Эпиграфика Востока, Москва: Институт востоковедения РАН, 2015. Выпуск 31. С. 34-59.
  12. Intoxication and Hallucination Practices in the Ancient World. In: International Conference “Sacred Landscapes and Conflict Transformation”. History, Space, Place and Power in Shamanism. International Society for Academic Research on Shamanism. Panteio University of Social and Political Science, Department of Social Anthropology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO. Delphi, October 9th-13th, 2015, p. 57.
  13. On the origin and Morphological Structure of the Scythian –ok-sai. In: Godzinska M. et al. (ed.) Remarks on Turkish Studies. Warsaw: Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Warsaw, 2015, pp. 268-274.
  14. İskitlere ve Türk-Moğol halklarına ait aynı gelenekler, kültler ve psikolojik özellikler. // Belleten, Türk Tarix Qurumu, Ankara, LXXX, Sa. 288, 2016. 639-661.
  15. Гасанов З. Г. Архаические наконечники стрел скифского типа в восточной части Кавказа: проблема миграции скифов. // Stratum plus, №3. 2017, c. 17-50.
  16. Hasanov Zaur. A Method for Determining the Practice of Shamanism in Archeological Cultures. // Anthropology & Archeology of Eurasia, (Routledge, Taylor & Francis) 55: nos, 3-4, 2016, pp. 188-231.
  17. Hasanov Zaur. Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic. / Mátéffy Attila, Szabados György (eds.) Shamanhood and Mythology. Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy and Current Techniques of Research. In Honour of Mihály Hoppál, celebrating his 75 th Birthday. Budapest: Hungarian Society for Religious Studies, 2017. p. 185-201.
  18. Гасанов З.Г. Удила и псалии раннего железного века, найденные в Азербайджане. Археологія (НАН України, Інститут Археології), 2017, № 3. с. 105-119.
  19. Hasanov Zaur. The Cult of Female Warriors and Rulers in the Scythian and Sarmatian Cultures. // Gligor Mihai, and Soficaru Andrei (eds.) Archaeology of Women: Mortuary Practices and Bioarchaeological Reconstruction. Annales Universitatis Apulensis, Series Historica, 2018, 22/I, pp. 131-150.
  20. Hasanov Zaur. Shamanism in the Archaeology of Nomadic Peoples of Eurasia in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. In.: Gheorghiu Dragoş, Pásztor Emilia et al. (eds.) Archaeological Approaches to Shamanism: Mind-Body, Nature, and Culture. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars, 2017, pp. 228-242.
  21. Hasanov Zaur. The Prehistory of Knowledge Exchange Between the Caucasus, the Black Sea Region and Central Europe: First Millennium BC. / In.: Gutmeyr Dominik, Kaser Karl (eds.) Europe and the Black Sea Region: A History of Early Knowledge Exchange. Studies on South East Europe, vol. 22. Vienna: LIT, 2018. pp. 51-79.
  22. Hasanov Z. Two Different Funerary Rituals in the Kurgans of the Eastern Part of the South Caucasus in the Early Iron Age. // Nicola Laneri, Giulio Palumbi, Sylvie Müller Celka (eds.) Constructing Kurgans: Burial Mounds And Funerary Customs In The Caucasus And Eastern Anatolia During The Bronze And Iron Age. SANEM Series No. 4. Rome: Arbor Sapientiae Editore, 2019, pp. 125-138.
  23. Hasanov Zaur. Olbian Style Bronze Mirrors with Zoomorphic Handles from Mingachevir. / Manolis Manoledakis (ed.) “Peoples in the Black Sea, from Prehistory to the Roman period”, Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on the Black Sea in Antiquity. Oxford: Archaeopress Archaeology, 2021. pp. 13-22.
  24. Работа “Азербайджано-Казахстанской международной археологической экспедиции” в 2019-2022 гг. // – CulturalHeritage. Science Journal. National Museum of Kazakhstan, Astana, 2022. №4 (99), – s. 49-54.
  25. Həsənov Zaur. Şəki Xan Məscidi: Heydər Əliyev Fondu və Azərbaijan Xalqının mədəni irsi. // Təsviri və dekorativ-tədbiqi sənət məsələləri. Azərbaycan xalqının Ümummilli Lideri Heydər Əliyevin 100 illik yubileyinə həsr olunmuş konfransın materialları. 05-06 may 2023. Bakı, 2023. s. 23-35.
  26. Zaur Həsənov, Kim Yong-Il, Gino Caspari, Lukasz Oleszczak, Yu Byoungrok. A preliminary report of the archaeological investigations at “Yedditepe-Fizuli”, kurgan number 3. Archaeological reports on Power and Space. The 47th National Congress of Korean Archaeology. November 3-4, 2023, Seoul National University. Korean Archaeological Society. pp. 481-483.
  27. Zaur Həsənov, Kim Jongil, Kwon Ohyoung, Yu Byoungrok, Nam Ikhee, Cino Kaspari. Yedditəpə abidəsi – Füzuli, 4 nömrəli kurqan. // Azərbaycanda 2023-cü ildə aparilmiş arxeoloji qazintilarin nəticələrinə həsr olunmuş elmi sessiyanin Tezisləri. Bakı, 14-15 Dekabr, 2023. s. 49-51
  28. Zaur Hasanov, Kim Jongil, Kwon Ohyoung, Yu Byoungrok, Nam Ikhee, Gino Caspari, Nermin Mammadli. Archaeological Research at YedditepeFizuli Kurgan Burial Ground in 2023 // International Conference for Azerbaijan-Korean Scientific Cooperation on Archaeology. June 20, 2024, ANAS. s. 33-34