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146
Khojali
Gargarchay and Terterchay river basins; K.H. Kushnareva and T.H.
Chubinishvili m entioned Karabakh sites o f the early Bronze Age.
In the middle 1960s I.H. Narimanov developed a scientifıc
hypothesis about Eneolithic and Early Bronze culture o f Karabakh on the
basis o f the artifacts o f Garahaji, Guttepe and Leylatepe sites.
In the late 1950s A.A.Yessen, who specialized in the archaeology
o f the Caucasus, found a few settlements downstream the Kendelenchay
dating from Eneolith and Early Bronze Age and also conducted
excavations o f grave sites.
In 1960 M.M.Guseynov found 10 occupation layers dating from
the Early, Medium, Upper and Mousterian periods o f the Stone Age, in
A zykh caves on the left bank o f the Guruchay.
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In 1963 the extensive research was carried out in Azykh and Taglar
caves. The jo in t work o f M. Guseynov, D.Gajiev, A. Mamedov, N.Sh.
Shirinov, V.Velichko, A.Jafarov, V.Gajiev, S.Aliev and M.Suleymanov
proved that K arabakh is the m ost ancient hum an settlement in the South
Caucasus.
In 1964, G.S. Ism ailov conducted a range o f surveys o f Eneolith
and Bronze Age: Guneshtepe, Hantepe, Garakopektepe, Gultepe, Sho-
mulutepe, Uzuntepe, Menetepe, Zergertepe in the Guruchay and
Kendelenchay river plains. In G arakopektepe, an established social and
economic structure existed in the Bronze, Early Iron, Ancient and
M iddleAges.
Chronology and ethnicity o f early Karabakh burial mounds o f the
Bronze Age is provided in “The Caucasus in the Early Bronze Age”,
publishedby R.M. M unchaev in 1975.
Garabagh. Guruchay and Kyondalanchay Valley