The Problem of Stratigraphy and Periodisation of the Khalaj Monuments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30546/679523.2.2025.022Keywords:
Khalaj I, Neolithic ceramics, C14 analyses, Khalaj II, Antiquity, Stone column baseAbstract
This article analyses the 2024 results of the Khalaj Archaeological Expedition, whose main goals were to trace cultural transitions, establish monument stratigraphy, and examine inter-site relationships. Stratigraphic observations, C-14 dating, and typological comparison formed the basis of the research. Fieldwork was carried out at Khalaj I and the newly recorded Khalaj II, both located in the village of Khalaj, Sharur District. At Khalaj II, excavations in areas A–D reached a depth of 1.7 m, allowing the identification of the cultural layer and the chronological placement of the site, providing valuable material for understanding the poorly studied transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages in Nakhchivan. At Khalaj I, a 4.2-m trench revealed five cultural layers, including Bronze and Early Iron Age deposits, while surface finds indicated Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic activity. The thick Iron Age layer (2 m) is particularly significant for studying ties between the Khojaly-Gadabay culture and Eastern Anatolia. The first absolute dates for the site were obtained: two C-14 samples from the fourth layer (1295–1046 BC; 1370–1335 BC) confirmed the presence of a Middle Bronze Age horizon. Although Neolithic red-painted pottery was recovered, the absence of a distinct layer likely reflects the limited excavated area. In total, 679 ceramic samples from Khalaj I and 1,631 from Khalaj II, along with immovable artefacts, were deposited in the archaeological collection of the Nakhchivan Branch of the National Academy of Sciences, thereby providing new data on the ancient cultures of Azerbaijan from the Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages.
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