ANCIENT HUMAN HABITAT: GOBUSTAN
Mesolithic (in Greek, μέσος “middle”, λίθος “stone”) means “middle stone” age. It spanned around 13th -8th millenniums BC to the late glacial period. In Mesolithic period arrow and bow were discovered and stone tools were improved. The traces of Mesolithic period in Azerbaijan were found in Avey Mountain, Damjili Cave (Qazakh) and Gobustan. Microliths, arrowheads, crayon-shaped nuclei for making tools and domesticated animal bones were uncovered from these monuments.
Gobustan is a considerably large, geographically semi-desert, foothill district with up to 100 km diameters situated in the east of Azerbaijan, between the south-east outskirts of the Caucasus Mountains and Caspian Sea and dissected by numerous ravines (ancient riverbeds and gullies). The term Gobustan derived from the word “Qobu” and the area suffix “stan” that means “ravine land” in translation. Gobustan monument is one of the ancient human habitats with numerous rock carvings situated 50-60 km south-west of Baku, 6-7 km far away from Caspian Sea. 16 sites under rock, 4 Bronze Age habitations, sacred places, nearly 40 kurgans were excavated and studied. Along with excavations in Gobustan, rock drawings had been found out and registered. Rock carvings were discovered in the south-east of Gobustan (Boyukdash, Kichikdash, Jingirdagh mountains and Yazylytepe). Up to now, more than 6000 drawings on above 1000 rocks and stones have been searched out and investigated. Azerbaijani archaeologist Ishag Jafarzadeh was the first to begin studying Gobustan petroglyphs that have been known to the scientific world since 1939, following his death, other specialists carried on with the research. Gobustan State Historical-Aristic Reserve (“Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape) acquired national status in 2006 and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee’s 31st session held in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 23 June - 2 July, 2007.
MICROLITHS
Though the first microlith (a Greek word meaning μικρός – small, λίθος- stone) tools were made in the late development period of Upper Paleolithic, they are characteristic for Mesolithic period. In the transitional period to Mesolithic the microliths were also found out in Gobustan as well as in the numerous Mesolithic period monuments of Western Asia and Caucasus. It was primarily associated with the widespread of arrow and bow during that period. The microliths were basically utilized to make toothed tools for picking, arrows, spears, spear-typed weapons and tools for harvesting. The microlith tools in Gobustan were discovered from merely “Gaya-arasi” site. There were 54 microliths among stone products of “Gaya-arasi” site. Most of them were made of flint. However, microliths made of obsidian were found as well.
EARLY PRODUCING INDUSTRY
The discovery of stone hoes, graters, cereal grinding stones, tool samples in type of harvesting knives made of knife-shaped board is an indication of the emergence of farming. These tools were used for reaping, threshing and grinding cereals. Moreover, people took a step toward domesticating some animals. The first researcher of Gobustan monument I.M.Jafarzadeh reckoned that a bull was the first domesticated animal here. In this regard, a description of the bull with rope around its neck depicted on the south surface of the stone number 45 in Gobustan generates a great interest. However, on the back of that stone there is a bull hunting description depicted in the same technical style. In Neolithic period, hunting, fishing and gathering activities played a vital role and still were the main fields of economy in Gobustan.
SPIRITUAL WORLD: ROCK CARVINGS
Rock drawings give some information on spiritual world of Mesolithic period people lived in Azerbaijan. The descriptions of a tall, belted man with strong thighs, a slim-waisted woman with a big breast, stout thighs, fat legs and sometimes with a tattoo on the body, real and symmetrical bull, gazelle and wild horse, collective dancing, collective labor, fish hunting and boat drawings were engraved on the Gobustan rocks. The most ancient paintings in Gobustan are the front description of a man and profile silhouette depiction of women in sitting and half-sitting positions. There are women drawings with big breast and tattoo on their whole body, too. These paintings are considered a sign of productivity. Throughout millenniums, worship of woman- “great mother” has developed in Azerbaijan. The cult of natural forces can be observed in the ship drawings with the sun on its bow and astral signs. Abundance of bull and deer descriptions among petroglyphs is explained with worship and totemic beliefs of Gobustan people.
