Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

ANAS Presidium held a next meeting on June 27.

ANAS Deputy Director of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography on scientific work, Doctor of Historical Sciences Museibli Nadjaf delivered a report on “Archaeological research in Azerbaijan: achievements and prospects”.

Speaking about the importance of archaeological research in the study of the history of Azerbaijan of the ancient period, the scientist said that the main goal is to bring research in this area to the level of the requirements of modern science.

Deputy Director noted that, in accordance with Orders signed by AR President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, aimed at the development of archaeological science, Institute has organized large-scale studies in all regions of the republic over the past 10 years, except for the occupied territories and revealed hundreds of monuments unknown to hitherto science.

Describing the studies conducted over the past period, the speaker stressed that during the research around the Mingachevir Reservoir were found stone tools, which are more than 1 million years old and thus it was found for the first time that, the area of distribution of the Kuruchai archaeological culture, previously represented only by the Azykh cave in Karabakh are much broader. Also, for the first time on the territory of Gakh and Zakatala districts, primitive cave-type human settlements were discovered, their age is 450-500 thousand years.

Speaking about the study of monuments belonging to the archaeological culture of the Leylatepe of the Chalcolith period (Aeneolithic) he said that, these studies of international scientific significance prove that at that time the societies inhabiting the territory of Azerbaijan developed in the context of the same cultural traditions as ancient civilizations of Northern Mesopotamia and Eastern Anatolia.

According to the speaker, numerous finds - household items and decorations made in China, India, Central Asia and Iran, discovered during archaeological excavations that were conducted in the cities of the period of late antiquity and the Middle Ages, located along the international trade route of the Great Silk Road, prove that Azerbaijan has been actively involved in trade on this path.

Saying that, archeology creates ample opportunities for conducting multidisciplinary research, N.Museibli noted that, this scientific branch is developing in close connection with such exact sciences as geology, chemistry, botany, zoology: on which the monument is located, the stone tools found and a number of minerals need to use the knowledge and experience of geologists. This has led to the emergence of a multidisciplinary “geoarcheology” direction, which studies natural and physical processes affecting archaeological sites”.

The scientist reported that, thanks to paleobotanical research, it became possible to obtain information on the vegetation cover and climate of the region during a certain period of history, when an archaeological monument arose, paleozoological studies reveal species that lived during a certain period, paleoanthropological studies based on the remains allow to study the diet, diseases, causes of death of a person. In addition, on the basis of the bones of the skull of ancient people, their anthropological type is determined, which is of great importance for studying the history of ethnogenesis.

The report was approved by the Presidium. ANAS Division of Social Sciences tasked to prepare jointly with the ANAS Earth Sciences Division, Chemical Sciences, Physical, Mathematical and Technical sciences a project aimed at implementing comprehensive measures to develop archaeological science in Azerbaijan and submit it to the Presidium before November 1.

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