More than 1,300 prehistoric burial mounds and necropolises in western Azerbaijan systematically surveyed for the first time

Amazing stuff! Expect more to come in the near future!

"Spanning more than 1,000 kilometers in length and up to 5,600 meters in height, the mountain ranges of the Caucasus stretch between the Black and Caspian Seas. What appears to be a huge natural barrier was actually an important contact and exchange zone between the highlands of West Asia and the Southeast European steppes for thousands of years. Despite its importance, archaeological data from the Caucasus and neighboring regions remains fragmentary.

Researchers from the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence at Kiel University together with colleagues from the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan systematically surveyed and documented more than 1,300 archaeological sites in Azerbaijan in two field campaigns in 2021 and 2023. They have now published the results of their latest research campaign in the international journal Antiquity. The article is a follow-up of an overview of the results of the 2021 field campaign, which was published in the journal Archaeological Prospection earlier this year. ..."

From the abstract:

"This project documents the current archaeological record of the Qaraçay River Basin in western Azerbaijan. Integrating intensive pedestrian survey, satellite imagery analysis and topographic mapping, the study identified 85 kurgans, six necropolises and nine sites from the Chalcolithic or medieval periods. The authors believe this demonstrates the potential for further archaeological studies in the region."

More than 1,300 prehistoric burial mounds in western Azerbaijan systematically surveyed for the first time

More than 1,300 prehistoric burial mounds in western Azerbaijan systematically surveyed for the first time (original news release)

The archaeological record of the Qaraçay River Basin along the northern piedmont of the Lesser Caucasus

Kurgans are a common feature of the landscape in many places in West Azerbaijan

Figure 1. Location of the sites recorded during the 2023 field season. Basemap imagery Landsat 9, 31 October 2022, available from the USGS

Figure 6. Examples of pottery sherds recovered during surface collection: A–C) Chalcolithic sherds from site WGP040; D) Kura-Arax sherd from site WGP036; E) Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age sherd from site WGP038 (figure by authors).