The Archaeological Heritage of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in the Context of South Caucasian and Near Eastern Cultures
Togrul Khalilov1* , Rasul Bagirov1 ,
Ruhiyya Rzayeva1 , and Ilgar Kangarli1
Abstract. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic stands out as one of the oldest settlement areas of the South Caucasus, distinguished by a continuous and multi-layered archaeological heritage from the Paleolithic period to antiquity. Its strategic location between Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Iran, and the South Caucasus has made this region a zone of intense cultural interaction and human mobility during prehistoric and early historical periods. Paleolithic sites such as Gazma, Kilit, and Dashgala, as well as Lower Paleolithic materials discovered at Ovchulartepesi, indicate that human settlement in the region dates back to very ancient stages. During the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, based on the I and II Kultepe sites, sedentary life, agriculture, and early production relations were formed. Grain storage facilities and stone tools reflect the economic structure of this period. In the Early Bronze Age, Nakhchivan became one of the important centers of the Kura-Araxes culture, where ceramics and metallurgy developed significantly. In the Middle Bronze Age, the “Painted Pottery Culture” demonstrates the region’s connections with the South Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia, and the Urmia Basin. The rock carvings of Gamigaya reflect the development of religious and mythological thinking. The planned urban layout uncovered at II Kultepe confirms early urbanization processes. In the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, social structures became more complex, and administrative centers such as Oghlangala were formed. The salt mining activities at Duzdag further increased the region’s economic importance. Consequently, Nakhchivan served as an important crossroads in the formation of the cultures of the South Caucasus and the Near East.
Keywords: Nakhchivan, archaeology, South Caucasus, Kura-Araxes culture, Painted Pottery Culture, Neolithic, Chalcolithic