A unique labyrinth-shaped burial monument was found in 8000-year old Shahtakhti archaeological complex in Kengerli region of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as a result of archaeological excavations, senior scholar of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, PhD on historical sciences Gahraman Aghayev told.
He said that the labyrinth-shaped burial monument was found in one of the courtyards. The archaeologist informed that such a monument for the first time was found in Azerbaijan during archaeological excavations:
“A colored plate was found inside the monument. The monument dates back to the 3rd millennium B.C., the Bronze Age”, he said.
Aghayev said the Shahtakhti archaeological complex is the only archaeological monument not only in Azerbaijan, the Caucasus and Middle East, but also in the world. It was intensively inhabited from the Bronze Age up to the present day. “People settled in this area 8000 years ago in the early Bronze Age. As it was intensively inhabited, all occupation layers are overlaying in the area. Although this year’s excavations were to specify the stratography of the area, it was impossible to achieve it. However, the evidences confirmed that the Shahtakhti residential area dates back to more ancient period – the Bronze Age”, the archaeologist said.
Aghayev said the area should be declared an open-air museum to protect Shahtakhti archaeological site that is considered to be a unique monument in the region and the archaeological excavations should be carried out not only in summer, but also throughout the year.
“Most of Azerbaijan’s historically significant people were born in ancient village of Shahtakhti. It is important to demonstrate this monument that is located on the edge of the Great Silk Road, near the border checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Iran, as an open-air museum”, he said.
The first archeological researches were conducted in Shahtakhti archaeological site in 1936 and it was attributed to the late bronze and early iron ages. The excavations, carried out by ANAS Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography and Nakhchivan Scientific Center in 1978-1987, revealed that the monument dates back to the ancient times: “Maybe Shahtakhti archaeological site dates back to the Bronze Age. Due to some difficulties, it was impossible to explore the occupation layers thoroughly”, he said.
APA