«İRS- Наследие».-2008.-№6(36).-S.35-41.

The problem of the dating of the petroglyphs of the archaelogical complex of Gobustan

MALAHAT FARAJOVA,

Doctor of History

In the process of studying prehistoric art, one has to deal with various data, differing from each other in character and direction. Therefore, before one begins studying early forms of visual arts on a stone, it is necessary to establish the chronological ratio of the geographical environment and the historical and archaeological periodization of the regions of Azerbaijan with the revealed rock art. It is important to determine the area of distribution of those animals which formed the major hunting species of the Upper Paleolithic (Mesolithic, Neolithic etc.) periods within the geographical boundaries of Azerbaijan and to involve geological data (particularly, already studied materials of ancient glaciations, the geological structure of stone, orogenesis and transgression and regression of the sea).

During the Quaternary period radical changes to the earth relief took place in the territory of Azerbaijan, as a consequence of active tectonic and volcanic activity. In the Upper Pleistocene, orogenesis took place in Gobustan. As a result of various geological phenomena, the World Ocean fluctuated, which in its turn, changed the contours of the land and sea. At that period the present mountains of Beyukdash, Kichhikdash, Jingirdag and Shongardag were washed up by the fresh Khvalin Sea with didacnas.

Traces of the most ancient human settlement in Gobustan are represented by sites, which have been revealed in the location of the ancient sea. Fluctuations of the Caspian Sea level help us to establish the chronology of ancient monuments, which may be more or less correlated with deposits of transgressions. We often find examples of such chronology in Gobustan on the Beyukdash and Kichikdash Mountains. On one of the walls of the Ana-zagha cave ancient rock carvings were found buried under a thick layer of soil. They date back to a period when the sea level was relatively lower.

At the time of the earliest settlement of Gobustan, in place of the present scorched semi-desert, a drought resisting open woodland with pistachio trees, hawthorn, willow pear, juniper and pomegranate stretched. The natural conditions in the Upper Pleistocene were closer to forests of tugai type of a damper climate (gallery forests). Analysis of patterns of fossilized pollen taken from the remains of the hearth in the Ana-zagha cave of Beyukdash Mountain in Gobustan show that oak and pine trees were once growing here. All these let us suppose the existence of places with oak and pine woods in the close vicinity of Gobustan and in the coastal strip of the Caspian Sea. Pine trees are still growing on Kichikdash Mountain near the Garaatli sanctuary.

Now let us turn to paleofauna materials. First, we should note that the analysis of rock carvings of animals gives us definite information about the former climate. Wild fauna is clearly divided into two groups. To the first group belong the inhabitants of tugai and shrub lands (noble deer and boar). The bones of boars are represented in all substantial collections of Gobustan. The inhabitants of the open steppe and desert landscapes and foothills represent the second group. These include ox, camel, steppe sheep and gazelle. The bones of animals discovered in Gobustan settlements and burial mounds belong to oxen, gazelles, sheep, goats and birds. Most of them are considered to be from types now extinct in this area: ox, onager, besoar goat, steppe sheep and camel. During archaeological excavations, even a cheetahs jaw has been found in this place. Fossilized remains of now extinct representatives of fauna are known to us from bituminous layers of the Upper Pleistocene on the Absheron peninsula and at Shikhovo. The area of Greter Gobustan was inhabited by now extinct aurochs Bos Primigenius Boj, gazelles Gazella Subgutturosa, onagers Equus hemionus Pall, besoar goats Capra aegagrus Erxl, noble deer Gervus elaphus maral, boars S.apsheronicus Burtsch. et Dzhaf, leopards and lions. During archaeological excavations in Gobustan bones of oxen were found in a cultural layer. A separate stone with depictions of zigzags on one side and a depiction of hunters on the other was also found.

Numerous depictions of Asiatic wild asses on Gobustan rocks and discovered bone remains bear witness to the wide spread of these types of animals. During archaeological excavations in Gobustan in the Ana-zagha cave bones of the Asiatic wild ass were found in the cultural layer.

The Asiatic wild ass is considered to be a direct descendant of the Pleistocene ass, which is confirmed by the wide spread of the Holocene semi-ass onager. Historical data of antique authors, Nizami Ganjavi's poems (XII c.) describing hunting scenes of wild asses-Asiatic wild asses in the Kur-Araz lowland and Rashid-Ad-Din's stories (XIVc.) about grand drive hunting on Asiatic wild asses arranged by Gazan-khan in Talish, bear witness to the existence of these animals until recent times.

From the rock depiction of spotty deer on stone №24 on the upper terrace of Beyukdash Mountain in Gobust-an, one may make a judgment about existence of spotty deer Cervus (Sica) Nippon Temminck in the Upper Pleistocene epoch.

The remains of bones of gazelles of the Gazella Sub-gutturoza Guld type, found in the most ancient caves of Gobustan, and numerous depictions of these animals are true confirmation of the fact that these species of animals were some of the main objects of hunting of a Paleolithic hunter. Along with bones of gazelles at the Jeyranlar site, Upper Paleolithic stock was also found, which contradicts the assumption that the gazelle appeared in the Caucasus in the postglacial period.

One of the animals most frequently depicted in rock carvings are besoar goats Capra aegagrus Erxl. Remains of besoar goats Capra aegagrus Erxl. in the territory of Azerbaijan have been found in Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements in Gobustan, Absheron, Gemigaya, and Kelba-jar. Remains of boars in Azerbaijan date back to the Quaternary period. Rock carvings of boars, and boar canines discovered in burial mounds in Gobustan, confirm the existence of these animals in the territory of Azerbaijan in approximately the IV millennium B.C. However, depictions of lions and leopards on the rocks of Gobustan are dai to a later period. The depiction of a large fish, probabl dolphin, carved on the rock was revealed on Kichikdash Mountain. At the present time dolphins are not found the Caspian Sea. One can suppose that these animals lived in the Khvalin Sea (now Caspian) and disappeared with the beginning of the glacial epoch.

We have given only the most important facts, which characterize changes in the geographical environment the Upper Pleistocene. The real picture is much more со plicated. Landscape zones existed. The relief and contours of the land and sea were quite different. Results of such (servations give us an opportunity to look at the chronological dating of the most ancient artwork in a new way.

Azerbaijani Petroglyphs located in different regions also possess some specific stylistic features, charactei tic only of this place. While advancing from Gobustan towards the western regions (Kelbajar and Gemigaya) and to the northeast (the Absheron) images become more schematic. It, probably, points to the possibility of continuity of artistic traditions in the art of Gobustan and the art of Kelbajar, Gemigaya, and the Absheron. Stylistic features of the Gobustan Paleolithic art let us speak about its local originality.

The results of research let us consider the chronology of the rock art in a new light. As a whole, it comes to the following:

I. The most ancient, early stage - the period of the late Pleistocene and early Holocene - period of aurochs - the earliest turn is dated by 34 000 B.C. This period, in its turn, is subdivided into four style groups:

I style - the earliest turn is dated to 34 000 B.C.

II style-19000 -15000 B.C.

III style - XV - XIII millennia B.C.

IV style- XIII-VIII millennia B.C.

II. - Late stage - the Neolithic period - period of wild horses and oxen-VII-VI millennia B.C.

III. - Later stage - Eneolithic - period of deer and goats - VI-IV millennia B.C.

IV. - Bronze Age - period of goats - IV-III millennia B.C.

V and VI stages - period of camels.

V - Iron Age - II-I millennia B.C.

VI - Middle Ages - I-XVIII centuries A.D.

In the ancient art of the Azerbaijani people it is possible to distinguish two isolated areas according to stylistic manner of carving images. They are, the territory of the Absheron and Gobustan, with petroglyphs which differ in plots - with a prevalence for subjects with images of people and household and cult scenes, and the Lower Caucasus area (the territory of Nakhchivan and Kelbajar), with rock art for which semi-nomadic cattle breeding (summer pasture) and cult and magic subjects are peculiar. Images of animals prevail. Settlements, burial grounds and fragments of ceramic vessels found in Gemigaya gave researchers grounds for dating some petroglyphs to the end of the IV-III millennia. B.C. Revealed open settlements and remains of round construction of the III millennium. B.C. in the zone of the rock art let researchers date the petroglyphs of Kelbajar to the Bronze Age. As to the petroglyphs of the Absheron, which are found on megalithic stones and rocks of the Absheron, the whole complex of monuments is dated to approximately the end of the Bronze Age.

Despite research by scientists, much in the study of the rock art of Azerbaijan remains obscure. For instance, what role did Gobustan play in the development of the cultures of the Caucasus and Europe? Extensive and complex research is necessary in order to successfully provide solutions to these problems in Gobustan, Gemigaya, Kelbajar and the Absheron. Teamwork by archaeologists, anthropologists, geologists and ethnographers in this area, will surely give the most valuable materials for the reconstruction of the ancient history of the aboriginal population of Azerbaijan and its relations with other regions.