EVIDENCE FROM A DISTURBED KURA-ARAXES BURIALIN SOUTHEASTERN AZERBAIJAN

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH222%25p

Keywords:

Azerbaijan, archaeology, The Early Bronze Age, Kura-Araxes cultural-historical tradition, burials, physical anthropology, traumatic injuries, paleopathologies.

Abstract

This article examines a partially destroyed Early Bronze Age burial site located near the village of Gilar (Yardimli District, Republic of Azerbaijan). The study aims to analyze the archaeological and anthropological materials recovered from the site, which was accidentally discovered during construction work on private property. The skeleton was interred in a flexed position on its left side, with the cranium oriented toward the east. The remaining grave goods consist of a single ceramic bowl positioned at the head of the skeleton; a second vessel, unfortunately, did not survive. Based on the material culture and a probable stone-cist (tomb) typology, the burial is attributed to the Kura-Araxes cultural-historical community and dated to approximately the mid-fourth millennium BCE. The anthropological remains were analyzed using modern methods derived from both physical anthropology and forensic medicine. The skeletal material submitted for scientific processing included a cranium, a fragment of the mandible, and poorly preserved postcranial fragments. Osteological analysis indicates the remains belonged to a woman, approximately 45+ years of age, exhibiting a dolichocranial skull type. Notably, a perimortem traumatic injury – oblong-oval in shape, measuring 36×17mm and approximately 5 mm deep – was identified on the cranium. The fracture lacks any signs of osseous healing, indicating the blow was inflicted with immense force and that an axe was the likely weapon used to deliver the fatal wound. Observed paleopathologies include porotic hyperostosis, vascular reaction, cribra orbitalia, and a button osteoma. This find marks the first documented instance of a perimortem injury in Early Bronze Age anthropological material from Azerbaijan, as well as the first recorded case of a benign button osteoma of such a significant diameter (22 mm). Ultimately, the discovery of this burial significantly expands our understanding of the geographic extent and presence of the Kura-Araxes archaeological culture in the mountainous regions of southeastern Azerbaijan.

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Author Biography

  • Dmitrij Aleksandrovic Kiricenko, Institute of archaeology and anthropology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Department of anthropology

    Cand. Sci., Assoc. Prof., Leading Researcher

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Published

2026-06-30

How to Cite

1.
Kiricenko DA. EVIDENCE FROM A DISTURBED KURA-ARAXES BURIALIN SOUTHEASTERN AZERBAIJAN. ИАЭК. 2026;22(2):313-325. doi:10.32653/CH222%p