Kultepe I
Kültəpə I
Azerbaijan · Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
In brief
The mound near the Nakhchivanchay provides an important stratigraphic sequence for studying the early farming communities of the South Caucasus. Following the excavations of 1951-1964, work conducted in 2012-2018 reassessed the Neolithic and Kura-Araxes phases in particular.
What was found?
- 1Neolithic pottery
New excavations at Kültepe I have uncovered vessels documenting the Pottery Neolithic settlement. These are important for dating early village life in Nahçıvan.
- 2Obsidian and flint tools
Stone cores, blades, and sickle teeth have been found. They document stone tool production and implements associated with agriculture.
- 3Remains of circular dwellings
Circular buildings with foundations of river stones and clay mortar have been uncovered. They provide information about housebuilding techniques in the early settlement.
- 4Remains of hearths and ovens
Hearths and ovens were found in the settlement alongside dwellings and other buildings. They show the fixed installations in which fire was used in everyday life.
What does it point to?
The buildings, pottery, and agricultural tools at Kültepe I make early settled life in the South Caucasus visible. According to researchers, the finds show that farming communities existed in the region before the Kura-Aras culture.
What did it teach us?
- Documented that settled farming communities lived in the South Caucasus before the Kura-Aras culture.
- Shed light on the Pottery Neolithic past of Nahçıvan.
- Provided concrete data on the everyday life of early villages through dwellings, hearths, and stone tools.
Images

Record
- Culture
- Kultepe Neolithic culture; Kura-Araxes culture
- First modern dig
- 1951
- Team / historical
- Fransız-Azerbaycan ortak kazı ekibi
- Coordinates
- 39.2722°, 45.4557°
Sources
- journals.openedition.org
- arheologia.com.ua
- edizionicafoscari.unive.it
- persee.fr
- Azerbaycan Yüksek Tasdik Komisyonu — Vafa Mahmudova’nın doktora tezi özeti
Nearby excavations
- Areni-1 Cave 55 km
- Artaxata 102 km
- Erebuni Fortress 124 km
- Azykh Cave / Azokh Cave 137 km
- Metsamor Archaeological Site 144 km
- Çavuştepe Fortress 201 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
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