IV INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF YOUNG RESEARCHERS
1695
Qafqaz University 29-30 April 2016, Baku, Azerbaijan
THE İMPORTANCE OF GOYTEPE NEOLİTHİC POTTERY
İN THE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY POTTERY
PRODUCTİON İN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Valeh ALAKBAROV
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
valeh_elekberli@yahoo.com
AZERBAİJAN
There is no doubt that the Southern Caucasus region was home to a number of prehistoric cultures
throughout the millennia. Archaeological investigations have proved that here emergence of the first
Neolithic cultures is dated to the end of the 7th millennium cal. BC and the very beginning of the 6th
millennium cal. BC.
Along the basin of the Kura River, in Georgia and Azerbaijan, it is only at the beginning of the
6th millennium cal BC that a culture appeared (the so-called Shomutepe-Shulaveri culture) to have a
subsistence economy largely based on fully domesticated plants and animals, -whereas in the basin of
the Arax the culture of Kültepe in Nakhichevan the Neolithic way of life developed slightly later by
the 2nd half of the 6th millennium cal. BC.
Coarse pottery is very sepecific for the Shomutepe - Sulaveri culture and can also be
considered its main indicator. its production continued for a long time but new types of the
vessels enlarged the assemblage in the later phases.
Organic tempered pottery found from the ancient settlements located along the middle course
of the Kura River mainly better manufactured and a large proportion of the pottery is polished on
one or both sides. A small amount of vessels were covered with a light-colored slip, very
uncommon for coarse pottery. In this regard, I.H.Narimanov, who carried out arch aeological
researches in this region divided the Shomutepe-Sulaveri ceramic wares into 2 groups.
In the I group the vessels are decorated in different ways. Vertical single or double applied
decorations on the exterior surface occur among these vessels. This kind of big-sized vertical
applied decorated vessel are also known from the site of Shomutepe. The decorations are varied
according to their type. The paste of the ceramic wares in the I group is tempered with sand, small
stones and chamotte. Coil and slab technology is also present in molding process and the surfacesd
are well smoothed but not burnished.
The second group represents reddish colored surfaces. They are hand molded, sometimes
slipped, burnished on one or both sides, painted with geometric designs and vegetal tempered
wares with impressed decoration.
However, researches conducted at Goytepe gave new insights into the Shomutepe -Shulaveri
ceramic production and we tried to explore possible interactions between the sites along the
middle stream of the Kura River and Mil-Mughan and Karabakh region.
Generally, at
Goytepe pottery was found in all levels. Plant and mineral-tempered pottery was
found in almost the same quantity; however, plant-tempered pottery often included minerals such as
basalt and even obsidian. Moreover, the presence of mineral-tempered pottery diminished slightly in
the upper levels. The common use of mineral temper in pottery matches with the previous
characterization of pottery from the Shomutepe culture of the middle Kura.
Thus, the pottery assemblages of Goytepe can be classified in six groups:
1) Slipped, painted and polished ware; 2) Plain ware; 3) Wiped ware; 4) Applied decoration ware; 5)
Bitumen painted and bitumen covered ware; 6) Impressed ware
Though all ceramic ware groups are not encountered contemporaneously at all Neolithic sites,
they are partially present in all Shomutepe-Sulaveri sites. Generally, it is still unclear where the
pottery production started. And whether the pottery was locally produced or this tradition has been
brought here from other areas.
In the Southern Caucasus region, a long time before the pottery production, the people who
obtained their food with hunting and foraging did not produce vessels from the baked clay, instead
they used containers made of baskets, leather, wood, engraved stones or other organic materials.
IV INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF YOUNG RESEARCHERS
1696
Qafqaz University 29-30 April 2016, Baku, Azerbaijan
However, the transition to a sedentary occupation and domestication of wild plants necessitated
vessels of longer staying and durable for cooking. Though it is difficult to say exactly when and where
the formation of the pottery making started, there are some evidence of proving the production of
pottery locally characterized at the archaological sites along the Kura River. It is known that the
Neolithic people discovered the use clay and the clay has become an important factor in their lives.
This clearly showed itself in building houses, storage bins and clay figurines. Simply, they adopted the
idea of solid and sustainable clay after cooking in any gained accidental experience and the tried to
solve what more is required in their daily needs. This experience manifests itself in making pottery
made of clay.
Namely, the fact that the Shomutepe type early pottery production consists of coarse ceramics
with a large, mineral content and without decorations supports our views. Afterwards, the addition of
straw and other tempers that might have improved the firing process was based on the experience
gained by the local potters in the process of pottery making and using.
While comparing Goytepe ceramic wares with the pottery of Neolithic archaeological sites
specified as Shomutepe culture along the Kura Basin and the sites of Karabakh, Mil-Mughan and
Nakhchivan new information and interesting facts have emerged. Therefore, the study of Goytepe
ceramic wares has a special significance in terms of investigating the establishment of bilateral
relations on the basis of an interchange between neighboring regions, and as a result of this
relationship preparation of ceramic production techniques and technologies, the formation of vessels
form and decoration.
QƏDİM TÜRK TAYFASI – KƏNGƏRLİLƏR
İlqar HACIYEV
AMEA Milli Azərbaycan Tarixi Muzeyi
ilgarhajiyev@yahoo.com
AZƏRBACAN
Azərbaycan xalqının formalaşmasında iştirak edən tayfalardan biri Kəngərlilər tayfasıdır.
Kəngərlilər türk tayfası olub qədim tarixə malikdirlər. Aral və Balxaş gölləri arasında Çin
mənbələrində “Kənquşu”, Avestada “Xənqxoy” adlandırılan Kənq adlı dövlət olmuş, bu dövlət III
əsrdə hunlar tərəfindən işğal edilmişdir. Kəngərli sözü də bu zaman yaranmışdır. Güman edilir ki,
Kəngərlilərin bir hissəsi hunların tərkibində IV-V əsrlərdə Azərbaycan ərazisinə gəlmişlər. Lakin
tarixçi alim Mahmud İsmayılov Kəngərlilərin miladdan öncə Azərbaycan ərazisində yaşadığını,
Strabonun və Böyük Plininin əsərlərində bu fakta rast gəlindiyini bildirir, Dədə Qorqud dastanında da
Kəngərli adına Kanqalı formasında rast gəlindiyini göstərir.
Qədim Çin salnaməsində Kəngərli tayfası belə təsvir olunur: “Onlar o qədər igiddirlər ki, ölümə
sevinclə gedirlər, onların hücumlarına heç bir düşmən tab gətirmir”
Tarixçi-şair Aqil Kəngərli Kəngərlilərin 6000 illik tarixə malik olmasını, adlarının ilk dəfə
Şumerlərlə bağlı çəkilməsini, bugün fars körfəsi adlanan körfəsin uzun əsrlər Kəngər körfəsi
adlandırıldığını bildirir.
Kəngərlilərin Azərbaycan ərazisində geniş miqyasda yerləşməsini IX-X əsrlərdə, Səlcuqların
hakimiyyəti zamanında təsadüf edənlərdən də var. Onların oğuzlarla birlikdə Qafqaza böyük köçü
olduğu göstərilir.
XI əsr Bizanslı müəllif Feofilakt Bolqarski kəngərlilər haqqında bəhs edərkən yazırdı: “Onların
(kəngər – peçeneqlərin) hücumu ildırım çaxması, geri çəkilmələri eyni zamanda həm ağır, həm də
yüngül idi… Onlar öz çoxluqları ilə yaz arılarını ötüb keçiblər, indiyəcən heç kəs bilməmişdir ki,
onların sayı minlərlədir, yoxsa on minlərlə, onların miqdarı saysız-hesabsızdır”.
1501-ci ildə Səfəvilər dövləti yarandıqdan sonra Kəngərlilərin bu dövlətin ictimai, siyasi, mədəni
həyatında fəal iştirak etməyə başladılar. Nadir şah Əfşarın ölümündən sonra Kəngərli tayfasından olan
Heydərqulu xan 1747-ci ildə özünü xan elan etdi və Naxçıvan xanlığının əsasını qoydu. Xanlığın
ərazisi Zəngəzur dağlarından Araz çayının vadisinə qədər olan torpaqları əhatə edirdi və İrəvan,