The Kura-Araxes culture in Azerbaijan and its wider regional context in the Caucasus

Ismayilova, Narmin (2024). The Kura-Araxes culture in Azerbaijan and its wider regional context in the Caucasus. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The Kura-Araxes Culture (hereafter KAC) is one of the most distinctive and long-lived archaeological complexes of the ancient Near East, which existed roughly between 3500-2500 BC, covering an astonishingly wide geographical areas during the Early Bronze Age (hereafter EBA). Despite increasing investigations and studies of the KAC communities in the Caucasus region, our knowledge of Azerbaijan is still fragmentary. The primary objective of this study was to focus, for the first time, on the comprehensive study of the case study area, Azerbaijan, in order to develop a deep understanding of the life of KAC communities during the EBA. The second objective was to evaluate Azerbaijan’s place in the broader picture of the KAC and to develop a wider interpretation of the culture that will be interrogated and reconsidered broadly in the Caucasus and in the wider extent of the ‘KAC world’ for future research. To meet these objectives, a comprehensive Gazetteer was created to provide a detailed account of every known KAC site in the contemporary borders of Azerbaijan. This will enable scholars to engage with material previously inaccessible. More importantly, this comprehensive study of the KAC in English will be widely available as an international resource for the scholars of Azerbaijan and beyond.

The understanding of the life of KAC communities in the region is mainly restricted to ceramic assemblages. This study addresses this gap and is the first to examine existing fragmented records surrounding the settlement pattern and the nature of settlement structures, funerary practices, and building tradition in Azerbaijan. This work interrogates the notion of KAC within this wider dataset contrary to general statements asserted by earlier scholars. This data approach was used to understand the narrative method of the chronological development of the culture, through the implication of homogeneity-heterogeneity features, traditional peculiarities of local variants, and the values and worldviews of these communities.

This study contributes to the understanding of a broader picture of the culture and presents a more representative narrative of KAC communities in Azerbaijan. The research found that KAC in Azerbaijan had a sense of unity, as demonstrated by some shared collection of artefacts and features, to the rest of the KAC regions in the Caucasus. Interestingly, it was also found that alongside a similar set of commonalities, there are some distinctive traits that are unique to these communities living in the region.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):