Goytepe archaeological complex

Goytepe (Azerbaijani: Göytəpə); Göy-Tepe, is a Neolithic archaeological complex located in the Tovuz District of Azerbaijan. Goytepe is affiliated with the Shulaveri-Shomu culture and it is the largest settlement of the early period of Neolithic era in the South Caucasus.

Geographical location

Goytepe is located in Ganja-Gazakh region of Azerbaijan, 5 km east of Tovuz city, 2 km to the northeast from the village of Aşağı Quşçu, and well south of the current course of Kura river, but close to where Tovuz river flows into Kura. This is the middle course of Kura, at the western terrace of the Zayam valley. The dune of Goytepe covers more than 2 ha, an altitude of 420 m and a diameter of nearly 145 m.

The settlement of Haci Elamxanli Tepe, from the same period, is located about 1km north from Goytepe, and Kicik Tepe about 2km southeast. Mentesh Tepe is about 10km east of Goytepe.

Shomu-tepe settlement, the type-site of Shulaveri-Shomu culture, is located about 25km to the northwest of Goytepe, in the suburb of Agstafa city.

History

Goytepe approximately dates back to the 6th millennium cal. BC. is one of the largest settlement sites of the Shomutepe culture. Goytepe started to be investigated thoroughly in 2006, after 4 decades of its initial documentation by archaeologist Ideal Narimanov. An Azerbaijani-French joint mission conducted this investigation in 2006. A topographic map of the mound was made and a few samples of charcoal were taken for determining the age of the site.

In 2008, the experts from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Azerbaijan headed by Farhad Guliyev, and the Japanese archaeologists from the University of Tokyo led by Yoshihiro Nishiaki explored this site more extensively in 2009.

The presentation of the archaeological complex was held at Tokyo University in 2009, at the College-de-France educational institution in Paris and at the British Museum in London in 2010, as well as, at the Archaeology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and at the National History Museum of Georgia in 2011.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order dated April 18, 2012 on creation of “Goytepe Archaeology Park” for the purpose of thorough study of this monument.

On April 18, 2012, according to the order of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Goytepe Archaeological Park was established. 300,000 AZN from the Reserve Fund of the President of Azerbaijan was allocated to the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan for the establishment of the Archaeological Park.

Stratigraphy and dating

The area of 300 sq.m. with a depth of 3–4 meters in Goytepe was studied after it was cleared from soil. The excavation area was divided into squares (numbered with numerical numbers – 1, 2, 3...) using a 10x10 grid system from the datum point to the north and to the east (labelled by letters – A, B, C...). In order to ease stratigraphic reading, each square was then divided into 2 parts – west (I) and east (II). 4 squares on top of the mound (1A, 2A, 1B and 2B) were investigated by the Azerbaijani experts, whilst a sub-square (4BII) at the northern part of the hill was excavated by Japanese mission. Moreover, stratigraphy of all the squares primarily conducted by the Japanese experts. The investigation of 1A, 2A, 1B and 2B squares in addition to 4BII sub-square approached a depth of presumably 3 m.

Since 2008, eight radiocarbon C14 analyses (in French and Japanese labs) of coal residues taken from different squares of the excavation area have been carried out. Four of these analyses belonged to the top layers of the site. 2 group of ages were provided, each belonged to different squares, 5450-5350 cal. BC to squares 1A/B, 2A/B, and 5600-5500 cal. BC to 4BII. The other four analyses cover mainly the cultural layer at the 150–175 cm depth.

Goytepe was a one-period site belonging to the Shulaveri–Shomu culture.

Architecture

11 m-thick Neolithic cultural sequence recovered in Goytepe consists of 14 architectural levels characterized by mudbrick houses in circular shape linked by curvilinear walls. Building techniques and distribution sequence of architectural remainders found from different levels were mainly similar to each other. Plano-convex-shaped mud bricks with straw temper measuring 40-60 x 20 x 8–10 cm made from yellow or brown clay were used as a building material. These constructions including the ones made of 15 rows of mud bricks with a height of 1.5 m. were considered well-preserved.

2 types of circular constructions have been discovered as it was in Shomutepe: large and small. The diameter of large circular constructions reached 3.5 m, while the smaller ones had a diameter up to 2 m. The smaller circular constructions used to generally connect with wing walls, although the larger ones were preferred to be mainly independent or not entirely enclosed. There were also revealed other structures such as ovens and bins. After examinations of these structures, it was affirmed that these units were built one by one in a sequential manner with a specific distribution pattern. The settlement featured circular or oval unit with a diameter of 7–8 m, including a number of round-shaped constructions connected with wing walls to surround a courtyard. There was a break on the enclosure wall for each unit which are assumed to be used as the entrance to the yard.