2024-07-13 04:19:14
Archaeologists from the Italian University of Catania have discovered ceramic dishes and a ritual table, estimated to be 3,500 years old, at the site of the ancient settlement of Tava-Tepe, a late Bronze Age settlement in the Agstafa region of Azerbaijan.
According to scientists, Tava-Tepe could have served as a resting place for nomadic tribes moving between the Kura River basin and the Caucasus Mountains, Day.Az reports, citing an article published on the website of the Heritage Daily portal.
It states that during the excavations a round clay structure was discovered with a ritual table and well-preserved ceramic dishes, as well as brazier casings.
Scattered around the excavation site are fragments of bowls and other fired ceramics, indicating that the ancient nomads who stayed here cooked food in ceramic pots.
According to scientists, the entrance to the structure was initially supported by wooden posts, and its roof was completely covered with straw. Post holes around the perimeter made it possible to calculate the size of the structure: its diameter was approximately 15 meters.
Numerous bones of various animals, including cattle, sheep and pigs, as well as fragments of pottery, were found on the outside of the circular platform. These finds, archaeologists believe, provide new insights into the ritual food that was part of the communal meals of the nomadic tribes in Tawat-tepe.
The ritual nature of the structure is also indicated by the preserved votive human figurines, placed in special pits and intended as offerings to the gods.
Archaeologists plan to present the artifacts found at Tavatepe in mid-July. An exhibition dedicated to the excavations is expected to take place in December this year at the University of Catania in Sicily, Heritage Daily reports.
It should be noted that the ancient settlement of Tavatepe, which belongs to the Khojaly-Gadabey culture of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age of the 13th-7th centuries BC, was discovered near the village of Ashagi Kasaman in the Agstafa region last summer. Excavations at the site of the settlement are being carried out by Azerbaijani specialists together with archaeologists from Turkey and Italy.
Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel and stay up to date with the latest news!