Ceyranlar kampı

Ceyranlar camp — an ancient settlement located in the north‑east part of the plain of Mount Kiçikdaş within the Gobustan National Historical‑Archaeological Reserve. It was discovered in a semi‑roofed shelter of about 12 square metres formed among stones numbered 49, 49a and 49b, on which rock‑art has been preserved. Archaeological materials and the characteristics of the rock‑art indicate that the monument was used for a long period from the end of the Upper Paleolithic through the early Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.

The camp was entered in 2001 into Azerbaijan’s list of immovable world‑significant historical and cultural monuments, and in 2007 into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Research

In 1973 archaeological excavations were carried out at Ceyranlar camp over an area of 52 square metres covering the interior and exterior of the shelter. Stone‑age remains were discovered inside the shelter beneath a layer formed as a result of its use in the Middle Ages as a shepherds’ winter pasture. During the excavations, inside the shelter a soft layer about 20 centimetres thick was first recorded, beneath it a layer of medieval pottery shards and decayed soil containing two hearth remains, and further down, to a depth of about one metre, a soil layer of stone‑age clay and sand mixture. Because the cultural layer was mixed with sea sand, its boundaries and thickness could not be determined precisely. The stone tools and the character of the rock‑art obtained from the camp show that the site is typical mainly for the transition from the Upper Paleolithic to the Mesolithic and for the early Neolithic. Archaeological and paleogeographic data indicate that Ceyranlar camp was used for millennia and that it is of great importance for the study of ancient human settlements in Gobustan.

After the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence, the camp was entered into the list of world‑significant immovable historical and cultural monuments with registration number 26–1037 by decision No. 132 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 2 August 2001.

The Gobustan National Historical‑Archaeological Reserve, where the archaeological monument is located, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name “Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape” at the XXXI Session of the World Heritage Committee held on 29 June 2007 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Paleogeographic features

Excavations have shown that the lower part of some drawings on rock number 49 is covered by a layer of sea sand. In addition, within the sand layer a fish drawing and three limestone fragments that have been smoothed by surface washing were discovered. These finds indicate that at certain periods the level of the Caspian Sea rose to the present area. According to paleogeographic data, the Caspian Sea level has changed repeatedly in different periods. It is assumed that the sea‑level rises during the late Paleolithic–Mesolithic caused a partial erosion of the cultural layer of the Ceyranlar camp and the formation of sand and silt layers there. The discovery of the camp’s materials within sand and silt layers is considered an important paleogeographic evidence of the impact of Caspian Sea level changes on ancient settlements in the Gobustan area.

Archaeological materials

The material culture remains uncovered at the camp consist mainly of tools made of flint, chert and amber. Among the flint finds are five cores, four scrapers, one trapezoidal tool, a segment‑shaped tool made from a knife‑like blade, one denticulate microblade, five worked blades and eleven ordinary blades. Three of the cores are conical, the other two are slightly worked. Among the chert materials are seven blades, one copper‑type tool, two scrapers and a long stone object whose one end has been partially pierced but not completed; based on its dimensions it is thought to have been used as a hook. The amber items include four blades, one high scraper and two denticulate blades.