Ovçular Tepesi is an ancient settlement located at the northern end of Dizə, Sharur village in Sharur District of Azerbaijan, on the left bank of Arpa (river). It dates back to the fifth millennium BC, and continued to the third millenniums BC.

Location

This is a strategic point at the foot of the highlands; the site is at the crossroads of major trade routes linking the Iranian plateau to Anatolia (east to west), and the Caucasus to North Mesopotamia (north to south).

The monument is located on a natural hill. The area of the monument is about 10 hectares. The characteristic feature of the site is that the Kura-Araxes layer is not covered by any cultural layers of later periods.[1]

Excavations

First excavation campaigns at the site were conducted by Seyidov in 1980, and then later by Aliyev.[2] Also Ashurov investigated the site in 2001.[3]

During the period of 2006–2011, a joint Azerbaijani-French expedition conducted a survey of the site. The residents engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, fishing, and other farming activities.[4]

In 2010, some Ubaid period materials were found.

Discovered archaeological materials are similar to Kultepe, Azerbaijan, Makhta Kultepe and other Chalcolithic era monuments.

Metallurgy

At Ovcular, three large copper axes were found in an infant burial jar, coming from Late Chalcolithic occupation levels (4400–3950 BC). Also, pieces of copper ore, crucible remains, and some small metal artifacts were found. Such large copper tools are not known anywhere else in southwestern Asia. Metallurgy was being practiced here, and at other sites in the area.[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Marro, C., V. Bakhshaliyev and S. Ashurov (2010). Excavation at Ovcular Tepesi (Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan). First Preliminary Report: the 2006-2008 seasons. Anatolia Antiqua, IFEA, Paris
  2. ↑ Aliyev, N. and Narimanov I., 2001: Культура северного Азербайджана в эпоху позднего энеолита. Баку, Agridag.: 31-32
  3. ↑ Ashurov, S.H., 2005: ―An introduction to Bronze Age sites in the Sarur plain‖. In Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan, Band 37 : 89-99.
  4. ↑ Marro, Catherine; Bakhshaliyev, Veli; Ashurov, Safar (2011). "Excavations at Ovçular Tepesi (Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan). Second Preliminary Report : The 2009-2010 Seasons". Anatolia Antiqua. 19 (1): 53–100. ISSN 1018-1946.
  5. ↑ Gailhard, Nicolas; Bode, Michael; Bakhshaliyev, Veli; Hauptmann, Andreas; Marro, Catherine (2017). "Archaeometallurgical Investigations in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan: What Does the Evidence from Late Chalcolithic Ovçular Tepesi Tell Us about the Beginning of Extractive Metallurgy?". Journal of Field Archaeology. 42 (6): 1–21. doi:10.1080/00934690.2017.1393287. ISSN 0093-4690.

Bibliography

  • Location of Ovçular Tepesi. - in Zsófia Eszter Kovács 2013, What is Inside the Pits? Micro- and Macrofaunal Investigations at Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Ovçular Tepesi (Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan) (Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan)

39°35′32″N 45°04′04″E / 39.5923°N 45.0678°E / 39.5923; 45.0678

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