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Burial sites o f Khojali eulture were studied: stone graves o f
Shushakend, burial mounds o f Dovshanli (D ovshanli village),
Balligaya-Syrhavend (Syrhavend village), Ahmahi (Ahmahi village) and
Karabulagnecropolis (inthe Guruchay andK endelenchay riverplains).
Many bronze items were found in Khojali burials: pole-axes,
daggers and swords, pitchfork, horse ham ess, arrow-heads and spear-
heads, belts, jew elry (bracelets, rings, earrings, fıgurines o f birds, agate,
glass and enamel beads) as well as various ceramic fragments.
Khojali culture impacted the formation and developm ent o f local
Gedabek, Ganja and Shamkir cultures.
Various samples of black and polished crockery (jugs, pots, bowls
and so on) specific for Karabakh Khojali culture were made at the
potter's wheel, covered with geometric pattem s and white enamel.
The social, political and religious life o f the tribes which
established Khojali culture was studied in details during archaeological
excavations o f the following burial mounds: Hojali (2 - 6, 8, 10-15, 22,
3 1 ,1 9 ,2 1 ,2 7 ,2 8 ,2 9 ,3 2 ), Beyismarov ( 1 ,2 ,5 ,7 ,1 4 ,1 6 ,2 ,4 ,1 8 ,1 2 ,1 7 ,
1 9 ,1 5 ,8 5 ,2 ,4 ,5 ,6 , 7 ,1 0 - 1 7 ,1 9 ,8 ,9 ,5 ) , Ilisu necropolis, stone graves
Dashli chel, Gulabli sites and Sarichoban mound.
The design o f Late Bronze and Early Iron Age burials in the
Gargarchay and Terterchay river basins depended on the area: sandy and
earthen mounds with stone flags were found in mountains and at
foothills, while earthen mounds could be found in plains. In highlands
(Shusha, Gulabli, Ahmahi, Dovshanli, Demgolu, Gulyatag and main
Hojali sites) stone coffins prevailed. Walls o f earthen coffins under the
mounds were plastered with sheetrock solution.
Building mounds on the graves is specifıc to ancient Turkic ethnic
groups. The word “mound” (”kurgan”) is o f Turkic origin, and means “to
build”, “to constm ct”. the existence o f mounds on the graves in
Azerbaijan, in particular in Karabakh, is a vivid evidence that ancient
dwellers here had Turkic origins.
Geographically, Karabakh plays an im portant part in the
distribution o f burial mounds. It was Karabakh were the m ost ancient
burial mounds o f the Caucasus dated from the 4,h and 3rd millennia BC
were built. Since the 3rı' millennia BC ancient Turkic tribes o f Karabakh,
due to the developm ent of pasture cattle breeding, occupied mountain
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areas, especially alpine meadows o f the Smaller Caucasus, and built
seasonal cam ps in rich pastures. In the 2nd and 1s' m illennia BC more and
more people preferred the settled life style.
In the South Caucasus, Karabakh provides the best conditions for
settled farm ing and cattle breeding. In the 2nd and 1sl m illennia b.c. Turkic
cattle breeding tribes o f Karabakh occupied main alpine meadows o f the
South Caucasus.
In the territory o f present Arm enia there are m ore burial mounds o f
ancient K arabakh cattle breeding tribes o f Turkic origin.
Bronze belts from Khodjaly.
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Most o f burials beside the Goycha lake and in the vicinity, as well
as in the entire Armenia, date from the 2nd and l st m illennia b.c.; their
archaeological material refers to early urban culture o f Uzerliktepe and
Khojali culture o f Karabakh.
However, Armenian researchers forge facts and refer to ancient
Karabakh culture as to "Sevan-Uzerliktepe culture". Thus, attempts are
made to claim Armenian origins o f Karabakh culture.
In the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age the population o f Karabakh
was mainly occupied with settled farming and cattle breeding. At the
same time, groups o f craftsmen and merchants appeared in some cultural
centres.
Wide application o f irrigation technologies improved the
productivity o f all economic activities and satisfıed the requirements o f
the people.
Uchoglan, Guttepe, Velibeytepeleri, Chinartepe, Garatepe and
other villages were located beside water sources for the very reason o f
intensive development o f irrigation.
Irrigation emerged in Karabakh in Eneolite period (Chalagantepe)
and developed in the Bronze Age, especially at the last stage.
In the Late Bronze Age the developm ent o f m etalwork improved
the quality o f agricultural implements. D uring this period bronze sickles
were used along with the siliceous and obsidian ones which increased the
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effectiveness o f mowing. Bulls and horses were used for threshing by
means o f stone and w ooden threshing boards.
Mills and graters were used for grain processing, bread was baked
in ceramic ovens (in U chtepe and Garatepe).
Cattle breeding played a leading part in economy, semi-nomadic
cattle breeding fully developed. Pasture cattle breeding appeared in the
late 3rd m illennium BC and intensively developed in the early 2,ui
millennium BC tum ing into an activity independent from farming. This
secondary social division o f labour deepened in the Late Bronze Age. As
the amount o f cattle increased signifıcantly, cattle breeding tribes got
rich, property inequality developed and later tum ed into more intensive
evolution o f class society. Horse breeding played an important part in the
development o f cattle breeding.
In the Late Bronze - Early Iron A ge cattle breeding in Karabakh
tumed into an im portant, even leading economic activity.
Osteologic rem ains found on the sites included bones o f cattle,
horses and cam els w hich signifıes that cattle breeding was one o f the
principal occupations o f the people.
Bones o f cattle and horses were discovered in the mounds Khojali,
Dovshanli, Borsunlu, Beyismarov, Sarichoban, villages Uchtepe and
Garatepe; a skeleton o f camel was found in Garatepe mounds.
Many bones and skeletons o f horses were found in mounds
Dovshanli, Borsunly (8 specimens), Beyismarov (6 specimens) and
Sarichoban (16 specimens).
Karabakh is one o f the earliest and m ost important centres o f horse
breeding in the Caucasus. Karabakh horses were also popular in the
neighbouring areas.
In ancient K arabakh there was a special breed o f horses used both
as draught and saddle horses. Skeletons and rich hamess found in burials
o f rich people testifıes to their belief in hereafter. Horses were also used
forsacrifıce.
Horses used for economic, domestic and military purposes
(draught-horses and saddle-horses) were also worshipped as totems.
At the tim es o f pasture cattle breeding horses were used both for
riding and handling o f goods during resettlement. Formation and
development o f camel breeding in Karabakh allowed the establishment
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