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In the season of 2015, our main objective was to determine the
structure of the settlement, the extent of ancient Kültepe inhabitants'
exploitation of natural resources (salt and copper), and communication
between this settlement and other settlements of the Sirabçay valley to the
North. As a result of excavation in units F and E, we found round rooms,
paved by cobble-stones with heaths and numerous obsidian and bone
products. In unit G, below a thin Kura-Araxes layer, lay Chalcolithic pottery.
Preliminary analysis of ceramics shows that they date to the late Chalcolithic.
Materials from this period were not found by O. A. Abibullayev's excavation.
We think that further research at the settlement of Kültepe and nearby sites
will enable us to establish connections between various periods of
Chalcolithic culture, as well as understand the role of these sites in the
exploitation of natural resources.
In 2016, archaeological research was carried on units A, D, F, J, G and
E. Units D and F were cleaned, while units A, G, J and E were studied with
systematic excavation.
Area A. The goal of the excavations in area A was to expose the
occupation layers related to 2 buildings. The first building is situated in the
southern part and only part of it is situated inside the excavated area. Its wall
was already partially exposed in 2013. The second building is situated in the
north of the trench and it was recognized during the cleaning of a section in
2013. Only the upper section of its wall was exposed in 2015.
In 2015 we ended the excavation with a large fireplace (A165) built
with stones. This fireplace was situated in an outdoor area and was
chronologically posterior to the abandonment of the two buildings. In 2016
was excavated below this fireplace and we discovered that is was built on top
of a thick (ca. 15 cm) clay filling. Below this thick clay fill, we exposed a
new occupation layer. This occupation layer is characterized by a dark floor
with ash and charcoals and several working features such as small fireplaces
and storage jars. We interpret this layer as an outdoor working area.
We also realized that this area was occupied during a long period and
refurbished several times. This is clear from the 3 pit-like fireplaces that are
cutting each other. This is also clear from the semi-buried storage jars. A jar
was buried during the first occupation. Then it was partly destroyed by the
156
installation of the second jar. The second jar was also partly destroyed when
they leveled the area for a new floor and they installed a third jar inside the
second one. Therefore, we can say that this working area was used for a long
time and experienced at least three sub-phases. Stratigraphically, this outdoor
working area could have been used in the same time as the two buildings.
Under this outdoor working area, we found a grave (A229) that was
dug inside the clay fill anterior to the working area. This grave indicates a
period of abandonment of the area before the settling of the 2 buildings. The
grave belongs to a sub-adult and did not contain any grave good.
In the northern part of the trench, the goal was to excavate the inside
of the building. With first excavated a few occupation layers, with no trace of
architecture, that were later than the abandonment of the building. We also
found a grave (A192) that was dug after the destruction and abandonment of
the building. The skeleton belongs to an adult and do not contain grave goods.
Then, we excavated the filling of the building after its abandonment. It
was composed mainly of ashy layers. We exposed the inside wall of the
building. The building was heavily burnt and the inside part of the wall is red.
We could show that this wall is not rounded, as we first thought, but is
straight with a right angle on the western side.
It is a clear evidence for a rectangular building.
We also realized that the building had an entrance on the south wall.
This entrance was filled after the burning of the building.
The floor of the building showed several layers of ash and felt. I was
very irregular.
In the southern part of the trench we excavated the inside of the second
building with is round. We showed that this building also had an entrance that
was filled later.
Filled entrance inside the wall. The door socket corresponds to a layer
of occupation anterior to the filling of the door.
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We also realized that this building had 2 building stages. The first one
is made of smaller mud plaque and is finer than the second larger wall built
on top.
Section showing the 2 stages of the two superposed circular walls.
Area G.The goal of the excavations in area G was to expose the
building partly excavated in 2015. In fact, we showed that the area was
deeply disturbed by later excavations made during the antique or medieval
period.
The Neolithic building we wanted to excavate was partly covered with
fallen mud-bricks walls.
Above the fallen mud-bricks, we excavated two graves that are
posterior to the destruction of the building. They could be either of
Chalcolithic or Kura-Araxes period.
The first grave (G069) contained 3 individuals: an adult, a sub-adult
and a juvenile. The adult was buried first, and its skeleton was disturbed,
probably when the two other skeletons were placed.
The grave doesn’t contain other grave goods than 3 obsidian flakes that
were placed under the head and foot of two of the skeletons.
The second grave (G107) was a bit deeper and excavated directly into
the fallen mud bricks. The grave-pit was covered with stones. Inside the pit
was found the skeleton of a juvenile. It was accompanied with a flint blade
and a small ceramic. Part of the skeleton was covered with ochre. A small
bracelet made of small white paste beads was found around the arm of the
skeleton.
We excavated inside the Neolithic building but it was empty of any
archaeological material. We exposed the northern wall and we showed that it
was a circular building. Because it is covered with later material, we can say
that it is one of the last buildings of the Neolithic phase at the site. It is
therefore interesting to note that the shape of the buildings (rectangular or
circular) is not related to a chronological order.
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We also discovered that this wall had two phases. It was first made of
small light-color mud plaques with a darker mortar. Then a second wall was
built beside and on top of the first wall. The second wall is made of larger
mud plaques. The plaques have a darker color than the mortar.
On site E, we have put a stratigrafichesky hole with a size of 5х5 m.
During the research was revealed, the remains of streniye of the round plan,
pottery, instruments of labor from a bone and a stone, the fauna remains,
human skeletons. On this the site it is revealed also the remains of an obsidian
workshop. During the research, it is defined that the lower layers of the
settlement on structures very differ from top. As in the lower layers is tracked
abundance of layers of ashes. In the lower layers the remains of fauna,
architecture, the centers with a stone floor and ceramics are noted.
During excavation sites, J was revealed three building periods. The
buildings revealed on this the site were simultaneously with the structures
revealed on sites D and F. Researches have revealed the remains of fauna, the
centers of the round plan, ceramics, instruments of labor from a bone and a
stone.
Uçan Ağıl
Uçan Ağıl is located over a promontory at the end of a canyon linking
the Araxes plain to the Sirab piedmonts (Şəkil 26). This site was chosen in
2014 because of its proximity to sheep-tracks, the find of a mining tool
similar to those found in great numbers at Duzdağı and the preesence of
Kura-Araxes et Chalcolithic pottery : all these clues suggest that we are
dealing with a pastoral camp-site, possibly in relationship with mining
activities.
The excavations in 2016 lasted for 10 days (12-21 September) and were
concentrated in Areas 1 & 2 (Şəkil 27; Şəkil 28). Area 2 was enlarged to a
10x10m square instead of a 5 x 5m square in 2015. The hypothesis according
to which Uçan Ağıl was ocupied by pastoral nomads involved in mining
activities seems supported by several finds made this year in Area 2 : A large
copper ore fragment (166 gr) was found in Locus 2045 (Şəkil 55), next to a
hearth dating to the Chalcolithic, whereas two spheric stone tools, similar to
those collected at Duzdağı in 2012, were found in the Kuro-Araxes filling
159
layers (Şəkil 56) ; which is coherent with the dating of the mining tool
assemblage from Duzdağı.
As for the Chalcolithic layers, the chronological attribution given after
the study of the ceramic assemblage in 2015 has been confirmed by one 14C
reading from a piece of charcoal from Locus 2019 : 4690-4450 BC cal. - 2
sigmas. This datation is coherent with the evidence from Ovçular Tepesi,
since the pottery from Uçan Ağıl is at the same time similar to but also
different from the Ovçular Tepesi assemblage.
The find of early Chalcolithic occupation layers at Uçan Ağıl opens
large prospects for future research, since it provides data both for studying the
genesis of the Ovçular Tepesi culture and its evident links with Mesopotamia,
and for unravelling the relationships between the Neolithic culture of Kültepe
1, and the Chalcolithic cultures that followed.
As for the work carried out in Area 1, it confirmed the presence of a
thick layer of colluvium in between the earliest occupation levels belonging
to the first half of the 5th millennium and the Kura-Araxes layer at the
surfacce of the mound.
Under the layer of colluvium was found a filling layer with chalcolithic
ceramic potsherds and obsidian. Among these potsherds, one may note the
presence of four Kura-Araxes potsherds, which recalls a situation brought to
light at Ovçular Tepesi : once again, we have evidence that Kura-Araxes
groups were living in Nakhchivan next to other Chalcolithic groups.
The 2016 excavation campaign at Uçan Ağıl has given interesting
results from two points of view : 1) occupation levels belonging to the first
half of the 5th milennium were brought to light both in Area 1 and Area
2.This find is of particular interest, since this period was so far was not
attested in the South Caucasus ; 2) the thick colluvium layer brought to light
on top of Chalcolithic layers in 2015 in Area 2 was also found this year in
Area 1 ; interestingly enough this layer is thinner in Area 1 (about 50 cm).
Since this situaiton is also attested at Sorsu, it seems that we are dealing with
a general phenomenon related to a specific climatic episode, which is
currently studied by Catherine Kuzucuoglu (CNRS-UMR 8591). These
160
results question the conclusions that we had drawn about Zirinçlik, some
occupation levels of which may be located under the colluvium layer that we
also had found there in 2014 : about 40 cm of this colluvium layer had been
removed during the excavations but the situation at Uçan Ağıl and Sorsu
show that there may be archaeological layers still underneath.
CONCLUSION
This research determined that the settlement of Kültepe I was one of
the most ancient Neolithic sites in the South Caucasus. Archeological
excavations in this settlement make it possible to date the main stages of late
Neolithic culture. Research shows that ancient settlers at Kültepe were
engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. They also mastered nomadic cattle
breeding. The archaeological materials revealed at Kültepe I allow us to track
features of late Neolithic culture, and also observe changes in ancient life
ways.
The remains of copper revealed in various layers of the settlement
demonstrate that ancient settlers had knowledge of their environment,
including copper sources. Finding the remains of copper ore and its minerals
in settlements such as Kültepe I, Uçan Ağıl, Zirincli, and Ovçular Tepesi
shows that Nakhchivan was one of the ancient centers of metallurgy in the
Caucasus. Nozzles and clay casting molds for casting flat axes found at
Ovçular Tepesi show that copper smelting had been mastered in Nakhchivan
in the fifth millennium BC. Research conducted on metal products and ores
shows that ancient metallurgy in Nakhchivan developed using local raw
materials.
Research on Kültepe I and settlements located in the surrounding area
allow us to establish connections between late Neolithic and Chalcolithic Age
cultures. The recently revealed settlements also help us to understand the
consecutive stages of Chalcolithic culture. Sites relating to the early period of
Chalcolithic Age in the South Caucasus are revealed in the territory of
Nakhchivan for the first time. Research on the settlements of Nakhchivan,
Uzun Oba, and Uçan Ağıl make it possible to study early Chalcolithic Age
culture.
161
We think that research on Neolithic and the Chalcolithic Age sites in
the area around the settlement of Kültepe will be of great value not only for
our understanding of archeology in Azerbaijan, but throughout the South
Caucasus and the Middle East.
162
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