View source for History:Bronze and Iron Age in Azerbaijan

'''Bronze Age in Azerbaijan''' began in the second half of the 4th millennium BC and ended in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, while the '''[[History:Iron Age|Iron Age]]''' commenced in approximately 7-6th centuries BC. The [[History:Bronze Age|Bronze Age]] in territory of today's [[Place:Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]] is divided into the early Bronze Age, the middle Bronze Age and the late Bronze Age. Bronze Age was studied in Nakhchivan, Ganja, Dashkasan, Mingachevir, Gobustan, Qazakh and Karabakh.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/archeology-viii-northern-azerbaijan-republic-of-azerbaijan-1|title=ARCHEOLOGY viii. REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN – Encyclopaedia Iranica|website=www.iranicaonline.org|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=http://elibrary.bsu.az/books_rax/N_92.pdf|title=The history of Azerbaijan from ancient times to the present day|last=Zardabli|first=Ismail bey|publisher=First Edition|year=2014|isbn=978-1291971316|location=London|access-date=2019-08-26|archive-date=2018-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425182926/http://elibrary.bsu.az/books_rax/N_92.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=http://www.anl.az/el/Kitab/2018/02/cd/i-44365.pdf|title=History of Azerbaijan|last=ISMAILOV|first=DILGAM|year=2017|location=Baku}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=http://lib.az/users/1/upload/files/Goyushov_Reshid._Azerbaycan_arxeologiyasi._Baki._1986.pdf|title=Azərbaycan Arxeologiyası|last=Göyüşov|first=Rəşid|publisher=İşıq|year=1986}}</ref>
== First excavations ==
In 1890 research was conducted by Jacques de Morgan in the mountainous areas of Talysh near Lankaran revealing more than 230 burials at different archaeological sites dating back to Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages.  E. Rösler revealed the late Bronze Age materials from Karabakh and Ganja between 1894 and 1903 as long as he worked in Azerbaijan as a teacher, and the reports about his findings were regularly published in the ''Zeitschrift für Ethnologie and Verhandlungen der Berliner Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte'' and the ''Izvestiya Imperatorskoĭ Arkheologicheskoĭ Komissii''. J. Hummel conducted excavations in 1930-1941 in Goygol region (Elenendorf in Soviet times) and Karabakh and unearthed important sites as Barrows I and II, as well as several unknown sites dated back to the late Bronze Age.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Palumbi|first=Giulio|date=2016|title=The Early Bronze Age of the Southern Caucasus|url=https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935413.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199935413-e-14?print=pdf|journal=Oxford Handbooks Online|pages=24–40}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Əzizov|first=Kamal|date=2011|title=AZƏRBAYCANIN İLK TUNC DÖVRÜNÜN TƏDQİQAT TARİXİ VƏ TARİXŞÜNASLIĞI|url=http://static.bsu.az/w8/Xeberler%20Jurnali/Humanitar%202011%204/223-230.pdf|journal=Baki Universitetinin Xəbərləri|pages=223–227}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=JAFARLI|first=Hidayat|date=2016|title=Bronze Age and Early Iron Age monuments of Karabakh|url=http://irs-az.com/new/files/2016/186/2392.pdf|journal=İrs-Karabakh|pages=22–29}}</ref>

In 2012-2013, the French-Azerbaijani archaeological expedition (named Nabialla) explored the necropolis and burial traditions belong to the Bronze-Iron Age in Lenkaran (Lerik province).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Casanova|first1=Michèle|last2=Lorre|first2=Christine|last3=Alekberov|first3=Abuzar|last4=Hamid|first4=Fahimi|last5=Sauvage|first5=Martin|last6=Haze|first6=Mathias|last7=Vella|first7=Marc-Antoine|date=2016|title=The necropolises of Azerbaijan during the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Lenkoran and the Lerik areas (NABIALLA Project, Azerbaijan): Preliminary report of the 2012–2013 campaigns|journal= Quaternary International|volume=395|pages=194–207|bibcode=2016QuInt.395..194C|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2015.09.099}}</ref>

== The Early Bronze Age ==
[[File:Clay figures of animals from Kultepe I and Babadervis.jpg|thumb|274x274px|Clay animal figures from Babadervish and Kul-Tepe I]]
During the Early Bronze Age between 3500 and 2500 BC new pottery, architectural and metallurgical traditions, new settlement types and different funerary traditions appeared. This period is characterized by the Kur-Araxes culture which extended beyond the territory of today's [[Place:Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]] to the whole [[Place:Transcaucasia|Transcaucasia]], north-west [[Religion:Iran|Iran]], Eastern Anatolia, Daghestan, [[Earth:North Caucasus|Northern Caucasus]], [[Place:Syria|Syria]] and [[Place:Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and other areas. Discovering similar archeological items or settlements in all these areas showed that the population increased and spread across vast territories. Settlements were constructed on mountain slopes, natural mounds and river bank, in addition to artificial mounds. Property and social differences, tribes and tribal associations arose and people started to move to different areas. The separation of agriculture from cattle-breeding and the substitution of hoe farming by wooden plow farming, notable progress in cattle-breeding led the role of men in society increased and patriarchy ({{Lang-az|ata xaqanlığı}}- father khakanate) replaced [[Social:Matriarchy|matriarchal]] system.  The Early Bronze Age was studied in Kul-tepe I (second layer), Kul-tepe II (lower layer) in Nakhchivan, Baba-Dervish in Qazakh, Mentesh-Tepe in Tovuz, as well as, in Mingachevir and Gobustan.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aqra.az/az/naxcivanin-ilk-tunc-dovru-keramikasi/|title=NAXÇIVANIN İLK TUNC DÖVRÜ KERAMİKASI – AQRA Elmin İnkişafına Dətsək İctimai Birliyi|website=www.aqra.az|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.visions.az/en/news/35/fdf8b4b9/|title=Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine ::: A History of Azerbaijan: from the Furthest Past to the Present Day|website=Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.aqra.az/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PDF-S%C6%8FF%C6%8FR-H%C3%9CSEYN-O%C4%9ELU-A%C4%A1UROV.pdf|title=NAXÇIVANIN ILK TUNC DÖVRÜ KERAMIKASI|last=AŞUROV|first=SƏFƏR|publisher=Nafta-Press|year=2002|location=Bakı}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

Early Bronze Age monuments were studied more thoroughly around the Arpa River in Nakhchivan in 2006-2013 by V. Bakhshaliyev, V. Aliyev, R.Goyushov, K.Morro, S.Ashurov. Polished dishes, ceramic patterns, bronze and bone objects belonging to the Kur-Araxes culture were revealed in the territory of the Ovchulartepesi in Arpachay valley.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|url=http://lib.az/users/1/upload/files/Arpacay_vadisinin_Tunc_dovru_arxeoloji_abideleri.pdf|title=ARPAÇAY VADİSİNİN TUNC DÖVRÜ ARXEOLOJİ ABİDƏLƏRİ|last=QULİYEVA|first=ZEYNƏB|publisher=Elm və təhsil|year=2014|location=Bakı}}</ref>

Kilns, clay pots and tools dating to the Kura-Araxes culture were revealed in the first layer of Shortepe in 1936 by A. Alakbarov. Early Bronze Age cylindrical, conical, biconical, bowl type dishes were discovered here in 1986-87.<ref name=":5" />

Construction remains, bronze brooch and ceramics samples belong to the Early Bronze Age were found in the Ashaghi Dasharkh site located in Sharur in 2001 by S. Ashurov.<ref name=":5" />

In 1969, two burials of this period were discovered in the Dize village situated in the Arpachay valley. The walls of the oval-shaped burials were built out of river stones and reinforced with clay, while the floors were rendered with clay mortar.<ref name=":5" />

Religious temples, prayer houses were detected in Serker-tepe (Khachmaz), Baba-Dervish (Gazakh), Kultepe (Nakhcivan).<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

Burials of this period were found outside settlements, only a few within them.<ref name=":0" /> In early Bronze Age graves were covered with burial mounds. Newer types of funeral ceremonies and collective burials emerged.<ref name=":1" /> In the simple sand burials discovered in Mingechevir, a corp was buried in a bent position in different directions with a clay pot placed near the head. In Xoshbulag, Dashkasan, stone-covered [[Social:Kurgan stelae|kurgan]]-like burials were found where corps were buried on by one on their back, bent from the joints, heads positioned to West. İn this type of burials, black jugs with 3 handles and jewelry made from gold, bronze or silver were mainly found.<ref name=":3" />

Two burials under kurgans named Kurgan ST 4 and ST 54 were identified in the Period IV of the Mentesh-tepe (Tovuz district) belonging to the early Bronze Age and associated with the Early Kurgan and Kur-Araxes cultures.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|title=The Kura Projects-new research on the later prehistory of the southern Caucasus|last1=Helwing|first1=Barbara|last2=Alıyev|first2=Tevekkül|last3=Lyonnet|first3=Bertille|last4=Gulıyev|first4=Farhad|last5=Hansen|first5=Svend|last6=Guram|first6=Mırtskhulava|publisher=Deutsches Archäologisches Institut|year=2017|isbn=9783496015802|pages=141–151}}</ref>

Individual burial pits are also characteristic to Menteshtepe settlement. According to the numerous 14C analyses, individual burials/pits and hearths found in the 2nd part of Period IV of Menteshtepe belong to between ca. 2800 and 2400 BCE.<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lyonnet|first1=Bertille|last2=Guliyev|first2=Farhad|date=2012|title=Mentesh Tepe|journal=Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan|pages=86–108}}</ref>

== Middle Bronze Age  ==
The Middle Bronze Age was substituted with the Middle Bronze Age at the end of the third millennium BC continued until the beginning of the second millennium BC. The middle Bronze Age is characterized by “painted earthenware”, or “painted pottery” culture.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:II Kultepe Boyali qab.jpg|thumb|Painted vessel from Kul-Tepe II]]
During this period, much larger settlements were established, social and property inequality among the population started to increase, more sustainable relationship between the tribes resulted in emerging separate ethnocultural commonalities. Oval shaped settlements of previous periods replaced with houses with several rooms.<ref name=":1" /> Besides, cyclopean areas in mountainous territories started to be used from this period as strengthened settlements built with huge parts of rocks in order to protect the possessions of the tribal unions. Based on the findings in Uzerliktepe, Aghdam (grapevine kernel remainings) and in Nakhchivan (stone tools for crushing grapes), grapevine growing and winemaking emerged in this period. Second division of labor occurred in middle Bronze Age and craftsmanship separated from other production areas.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
[[File:Painted vessel from Kultepe I.JPG|left|thumb|Painted vessel pattern from Kul-Tepe I|alt=]]
Painted pottery culture was first observed during the land works in Kizyl-Vank in 1895. Polichrom pottery patterns shared common features with Haftavan-tepe and Geoy-tepe settlements around the Urmiya lake. The remnants of this period were more commonly found in Nakhchivan (II Kul-tepe, Chalkhangala), Gobustan (Boyuk dash site), and Aghdam (Uzerliktepe), Karabakh (Garakopaktepe), Gazakh (Dashsalahli). City centers and the ancient city of Nakhchivan springed up in the middle Bronze Age.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=http://medeniyyet.az/page/news/12845/Boyali-qablar-medeniyyeti.html|title=Boyalı qablar mədəniyyəti|website=medeniyyet.az|language=en|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://qedim.nakhchivan.az/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85&Itemid=77|title=Naxçıvanın orta tunc dövrü mədəniyyəti|website=qedim.nakhchivan.az|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|url=http://www.visions.az/en/news/179/fc94314f/|title=Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine ::: Azerbaijani history: from ancient times to the present day|website=Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":6" />

A.Miller found painted pottery remains from the Kizyl-Vank cemetery (Nakhchivan) in 1926.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":3" />

16 spearheads and 17 arrowheads were found from burial mounds dating XVIII-XVII century. These spears were from Dashsalahli (Gazakh), Hachbulaq (Dashkasan, Khankendi (Karabakh), Chalkhangala (Nakhchivan). Three of them made from arsenic copper, eight tin bronze, two arsenic tin bronze, two lead-tin bronze. Arrows were from Dashsalahli (Gazakh), Gyzylburun (Nakhchivan), II Kul-tepe, Boyuk Gyshlag (Tovuz). Four of them made from arsenic copper, 7 tin bronze, 2 lead-tin bronze, 1 arsenic tin bronze, 2 copper, 1 copper-lead alloy.  The recent studies indicate that most of arrowheads and spearheads were fused from crude materials of local origin with supplementation of imported tin.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hasanova|first=Aziza|date=2016|title=ARCHAEOMETALLURGICAL STUDIES OF SPEAR HEADS AND ARROW HEADS OF THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE SITES OF AZERBAIJAN|url=http://maajournal.com/Issues/2016/Vol16-1/Full17.pdf|journal=Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry|volume=16|pages=221–226}}</ref>

On the III layer of the, I Kul-tepe were found wall remnants of four-shaped houses, monochrome and polychrome clay pots and stone tools.<ref name=":7" />

In the Dize necropolis revealed in 2008, were found a pitcher and a cutting tool made from flint. Sharur archaeological expedition investigated three kurgans, grave monuments and fragments of painted dishes.<ref name=":5" />

== Late Bronze - Iron Age ==
[[File:Bronze sword handles and iron swords from Gazakh and Mingachevir.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Bronze sword handles-grip and iron swords from Gazakh and Mingachevir]]
The late Bronze Age and [[History:Iron Age|Iron Age]] covered the 15th and 7th (16th-8th centuries) centuries in the territory of [[Place:Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]].  Late Bronze Age in the territories of Azerbaijan covering 14th – 12th centuries BC, is characterized by archeological cultures of Khojali-Gadabay, Nakhchivan and Talish-Mughan.<ref name=":3" /> Burial mounds from the Nakhchivan, Karabakh, Lankaran, Ganja-Kazakh and [[Place:Sheki-Zagatala economic-geographical region|Shaki-Zagatala]] regions belong to late Bronze-early Iron Age were studied comprehensively by O.Habibullayev, S.Ashurov, V.H.Aliyev, O, Belli, V.Sevin, V.Karimov. During the late Bronze and Early Iron Age, the population increased, permanent and temporary fortifications were established. The late Bronze Age in Azerbaijan is known for the cyclopean castles which were mainly observed in the Lesser Caucasus region (Dashlitepe, Nagaradagh, Chobandashi, Pir Galachasi, Garatepe).<ref name=":3" /> The rich bronze objects discovered in the graves indicate that a military elite already existed by this period. Domestication of horses and the development of animal breeding have created seasonal migration. Horse bones found during investigations indicate that the horse played an important role in society and was worshiped. Collective and individual burials were observed in the burial mounds. The burials were mainly characterized by kurgans, simple sand graves and stone boxes encircled with cromlechs (observed mainly in Gobustan, Karabakh, Nakhchivan, Talish regions). People were buried in a bent form, on their left or right side or on their back, however, there were also samples of corps buried in a sitting form.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":9" /><ref name=":3" />

The remnants of the Talysh-Mugan culture were first revealed by Isak Jafarzadeh in Uzun-tepe in Jalilabad. Bronze and iron weapons and flat daggers were found here with geometric patterns.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":9" /><ref name=":3" />

Gray and black ceramic fragments dated the end of the second millennium and the beginning of the first millennium BC were found in Karabakhlar Govurgalasi (Nakhchivan).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=HALİLOV|first=TOĞRUL|date=2014|title=Naxçıvandakı Son Tunc-Erkən Dəmir Dövrünün Qala Tipli Yaşayiş Məskənləri|url=http://sosbilder.igdir.edu.tr/Makaleler/1832771541_08_Halilov_(117-132).pdf|journal=Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi|pages=117–132}}</ref>

Emil Rösler found an old man's skeleton, a bronze bird figure, a knife, 2 rings, a gold bead, a gold plaque, and a bead made from agate in Khojaly from a stone box grave. The name of the [[Place:Assyria|Assyria]]n ruler Adadnirari was mentioned on the bead made from agate. This proved that cultural and economic relations have been established with other countries since that time.<ref name=":3" />

The ship drawings depicting the Gobustan rocks showed that there were water and road trade links with the countries of front [[Earth:Asia|Asia]] and the [[Place:Middle East|Middle East]] during this period.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

Necropolis with gold and bronze jewelry, remains of ceramic dishes were unearthed by archaeologists in 2018 in the Ganja-Gazakh region associated with Khodjaly-Gadabay culture of the late Bronze Age era.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2018/07/late-bronze-age-jewellery-discovered-in.html|title=Late Bronze Age jewellery discovered in Azerbaijan|website=The Archaeology News Network|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://psjfactoids.blogspot.com/2018/07/ancient-jewelry-discovered-in-azerbaijan.html|title=Ancient Artifacts: Ancient jewelry discovered in Azerbaijan|last=Ace|date=2018-07-05|website=Ancient Artifacts|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azernews.az/culture/134373.html|title=Ancient jewelry discovered in Azerbaijan|date=2018-07-05|website=AzerNews.az|language=en|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref>

== Hounds and Jackals ==
[[File:Game of Hounds and Jackals MET DP264105.jpg|left|thumb|"Hounds and Jackals" game]]
Archaeologist Walter Crist from the [[Biology:American Museum of Natural History|American Museum of Natural History]] found a Bronze Age board game (4000 year - old) named “Hounds and Jackals” or “58 holes” in [[Earth:Gobustan National Park|Gobustan National Park]] in 2018. The game was popular in [[Place:Egypt|Egypt]], [[Place:Mesopotamia|Mesopotamia]] and [[Earth:Anatolia|Anatolia]] at that time and was identified in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenemhat IV.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bronze-age-game-found-chiseled-stone-azerbaijan|title=A Bronze Age game was found chiseled into stone in Azerbaijan|date=2018-11-16|website=Science News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wsbuzz.com/science/a-4000-year-old-bronze-age-game-called-58-holes-has-been-discovered-in-azerbaijan-rock-shelter/|title=A 4,000-Year-Old Bronze Age Game Called 58 Holes Has Been Discovered In Azerbaijan Rock Shelter|date=2018-11-18|website=WSBuzz.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/11/4000-year-old-board-game-called-58-holes-discovered-in-azerbaijan/|title=4,000-Year-Old Board Game Called 58 Holes Discovered in Azerbaijan|website=Mysterious Universe|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livescience.com/64267-ancient-board-game-nomads-discovered.html|title=4,000-Year-Old Game Board Carved into the Earth Shows How Nomads Had Fun|last=History|first=Tom Metcalfe 2018-12-10T12:24:57Z|website=livescience.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archaeology.org/news/7235-181210-azerbaijan-game-pits|title=4,000-Year-Old Game Board Identified in Azerbaijan - Archaeology Magazine|website=www.archaeology.org|access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref>

== See also ==
*Stone-Age Azerbaijan
*History of Azerbaijan
*[[Engineering:Board game|Board game]]
*Azerbaijan in antiquity
*[[History:Early Middle Ages in Azerbaijan|Early Middle Ages in Azerbaijan]]
*High Middle Ages in Azerbaijan
*Mongol invasions of Azerbaijan

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Bronze Age]]

{{Sourceattribution|Bronze and Iron Age in Azerbaijan|1}}