Ceramic braziers found at the Bronze Age monuments of Azerbaijan

Ceramic braziers, both intact and fragmentary, are frequently found among the finds obtained during the archaeological excavations in the Bronze Age settlements of Azerbaijan. Unlike all ceramic materials, braziers made of gray, brown and red clay generally contain more coarse sand or crushed very fine-grained stones.

Clay braziers are considered a type of hearth utensils, which is the correct scientific division and classification. Although the hearth tools found in the Bronze Age sites of Azerbaijan were mentioned in various studies, they have not been grouped, chronological sequenced, studied as a target object in general.

Researchers divide the hearth tools, including clay braziers, found at the Bronze Age monuments of Azerbaijan, into 5 categories based on their shape, features and function:

• –    flat-wall circular hearth devices;

• –    triangular hearth devices with projection/ protuberance;

• –    horseshoe-shape hearth devices;

• –    quadrangular hearth devices with hornshaped protrusions;

• –    cylindrical hearth devices/furnace units [Muradova, Ismailov, 1971] .

In fact, all of the round hearth devices, that have a triangular shapeand protrude forward are flat-walled. Therefore, many researchers consider the hearth devices included in this group to be the same [Ashurov, 2002, p. 71].

According to S.H. Ashurov, “...in no historical period and in no archaeological culture, hearth devices of different shapes were used as in the Early Bronze Age. For a long time, these hearth devices served as an important attribute in the everyday life and religious rites of people” [Ashurov, 2002, p. 70].

Clay hearth devices have different designs; in the archaeological literature, they are known under the names of braziers, trivets, tripods, furnace bloom, stoves, etc. [Quliyev, 1955, pp. 513-514].

It is incorrect to classify clay braziers specifically into any of the above groups of hearth devices. Thus, all the forms and characteristics of the remaining groups can be attributed to clay braziers, with the exception of the second and third categories. Clay braziers belong to the category of portable utensils.

Clay braziers stand out in shape and structure among the hearth devices of various structures and shapes common in the territory of Azerbaijan in the Bronze Age. Classification and typological division of clay braziers, found mainly in residential areas and very few graves, have not been carried out, and no considerations have been made about the purpose of their use. Our goal is to provide a scientific explanation for the clay braziers found in many Bronze Age monuments of Azerbaijan.

Shapes and categories of clay braziers

Clay braziers were were part of the kitchen and household utensils of ancient Azerbaijani tribes since the Chalcolithic period, and in the Early Bronze Age, they became more widespread in various shapes. Round braziers were are typical of the early periods. Low-walled round panshaped, large-sized clay vessels were also found in the Early Bronze Age monuments of Azerbaijan. V.H. Aliyev wrote that those pots were used as clay braziers [Aliyev, 1976, p. 120]. S.M. Gaziyev also discovered this type of vessels during excavations in Kerimli (Oguz district) [Gaziyev, 1973]. Most likely, these pots with traces of ash and charcoal also served as clay braziers.

During the Late Bronze and the Early Iron Ages, clay braziers gradually began to take on square and oval shapes. This form of clay braziers gradually became traditional, and the shape was preserved until the end of the Iron Age.

The oblong or oval-shaped holes in the seat of this type of braziers are placed to easily clean the ash and coal accumulated in the braziers. This kind of braziers are often found in Yastitepe [Muradova, Narimanov, 1973, pp. 52-53, tab. I, 2–3 ], Tavatepe (Aghstafa district), Sarvantape [Najafov, 2017, pp. 247-248], Saritepe [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962, pp. 18, 29, 36, 38, tab. II, 7 , VII, 12 , XI, 7 , XVI, 4 ; Narimanov, 1963, p. 90], Mollamey, Baba Dervish (Gazakh district) [Aliyev, 1976, p. 120, tab. III, 5,7 , IV, 7 ], in Uchtepe (Mil plain) [Iessen, 1965, pp. 117-118, fig. 15] and other monuments.

The vast majority of clay brazierss are coarsely hand-made from clay with the addition of coarse sand and small pebbles. Most clay braziers are made of grey, brown and red clay and have a thick layer of soot on them. This indicates that they were constantly used in the household. Clay braziers are divided into the following categories according to their shape.

Clay braziers belonging to the first category are mostly rectangular, sometimes square in shape (fig. 1, 1 ). The folding parts of its walls are semicircular, that is, they rise up from the seat in a curved manner. The seat part has an oval or sometimes rectangular cut symmetrically to the mouth. The seat part of the unbaked clay braziers was cut straight and neatly with some cutting tool and taken. Sometimes, the edges of the mouth of these brazierss are patterned with spikes, mainly embossed (fig. 3, 1,6 , 4, 3 ). In some braziers, the edges of the oval part where the walls join at the corners are also patterned obliquely with indentations. This type of braziers are 35–40 cm long, 25–30 cm wide, the walls 25–35 cm high and 4–5 cm thick, and the internal depth is 15– 25 cm. The best examples of clay braziers representing this category are known from Baba

Dervish [Aliyev, 1976], Saritepe [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962], Meynetepe, Uzerliktepe [Kushnaryova, 1959; 1965].

The clay braziers belonging to the second category are rectangular in shape, and although the side walls are flat upwards, they rise expanding towards the mouth (fig. 1, 2 ). The seat sections of this type of braziers are intact whole, that is, they are not cut, and the walls in the head part are relatively higher than the side walls, as if resembling the shape of a boat or a ship. The mouth sections of the braziers belonging to this category are mainly patterned tenon-shaped by twisting and pressing. The dimensions of the braziers belonging to this category are as follows: length 28–32 cm, width 10–15 cm, wall height 25–35 cm, wall thickness 4–5 cm, depth 15– 25 cm. The best examples of clay braziers representing this category are known from Baba Dervish [Aliyev, 1976], Saritepe [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1 962], Meynetepe, Uzerliktepe [Kushnaryova, 1959; 1965].

The clay braziers belonging to the third category are similar in shape to the second group, but there is one exception. This is due to the fact that the head sections of the braziers belonging to this category were cut, that is, the head sections do not have side walls (fig. 3, 7–10 ). The dimensions of the brazierss belonging to this category are approximately as follows: length 25–30 cm, width 15–18 cm, wall height 25–35 cm, wall thickness 4–5 cm, internal depth 15–25 cm. The best examples of clay braziers representing this category are known from Baba Dervish [Aliyev, 1976], Saritepe [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962], Meynetepe, Uzerliktepe [Kushnaryova, 1959; 1965] and Uchtepe [Iessen, 1965].

The braziers belonging to the fourth category are round, oval and have high walls (fig. 2,1). Big and small braziers of this type, as well as their small models, were often found in the Bronze Age settlements of Azerbaijan. The seats of these braziers, whose clay contains coarse sand and crushed stones, are cut in an oval shape, i.e., symmetrically to the mouth, as in the braziers belonging to the first category. Although we call it cutting, in fact, the braziers is made in this way. Some of the braziers belonging to this category have small round holes on the upper wall. Some of the researchers write that these holes were opened for ventilation, while others believe that they were were made to be able to open for easy access and removal of the ash inside [Aliyev, 1976, pp. 118-120]. In our opinion, it is more correct to dwell upon the first supposition. Round or ovalshaped clay braziers were found in many settlements of the Early and Middle Bronze Age [Ashurov, 2002, p. 73]. After kneading the clay of this type of braziers well, ribbon-shaped parts were made in the form of wind, and then they were placed on top of each other and smoothed from the inside. Therefore, their outer surface was often rough. After drying, the inner section and mouth surface of clay braziers were plastered with soft clay made from fine clay or glazed with clay water and then baked. Their cooking degrees are also different. Along with clay braziers baked in a constant temperature mode, there are braziers baked in an unstable temperature. Round or oval shaped small brazierss are more common. Such braziers are known from Kultepe I and II, Makhta I and II, Ashagi Dasharkh, Arabyengije settlements of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (AR). Clay mixed with coarse sand was also used for making braziers. The internal and ribbon-like mouth surfaces of the braziers are well smoothed. Its walls are narrowed down, the mouth sections are wide and round. They are pink in color because the fire is constantly lit inside the braziers [Ashurov, 2002, tab. XL, fig. 2–5].

Round or oval-shaped high-walled braziers remind Chalcolithic milk pail-type deep pots. They are all brown-red in color. Some have black and red stripes in the cross section. Their height is 18–25 cm, the diameter of the mouth is 30–40 cm, the diameter of the seat is 25–28 cm, the width of the mouth surface is 7.5–9.5 cm, and the thickness of the wall is 2.5–3 cm. This type of brazierss are known from Baba-Dervish [Aliyev, 1976, pp. 118120], Gobustan [Muradova, Ismailov, 1971, p. 146] and other Early Bronze Age monuments.

The fifth category includes clay braziers with a triangular protrusion on the edge of the mouth (fig. 3,2). These protrusions are mainly outwards. This shape of clay braziers were found less often than others. These protrusions were designed to make it easier to place pottery on clay braziers. In very rare cases, there were braziers with a protrusion on the edge of the mouth towards the inside. Such braziers are considered characteristic of the Early Bronze Age monuments of Nakhchivan AR [Ashurov, 2002]. The dimensions of the brazierss belonging to this group are mainly as follows: the height of the walls is 25–35 cm, the thickness of the wall is 4–5 cm, and the inner depth is 15–25 cm. The best examples of clay braziers representing this category are known from Baba Dervish [Aliyev, 1976], Saritepe [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1 962], Meynetepe, Uzerliktepe [Kushnaryova, 1959; 1965].

The sixth category includes clay braziers seat sections od which made in the form of slippers or horn-shaped projections [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962, p. 36, tab. XVI, fig. 4]. The braziers belonging to this category are square-shaped and relatively thick-walled (fig. 4, 5 ). Clay braziers with quadrangular shape and lower parts sometimes in the form of horn-like protrusions, which were widespread in the Early Bronze Age, were obtained for the first time from the Shortepe settlement in the territory of Nakhchivan AR. A.K. Alakbarov [Alakbarov, 1937, p. 254] and T.A. Bunyatov [Bunyatov, 1957, pp. 75-76] mistakenly assumed that such clay braziers were the head figure of the neat cattle. Coarse sand was added to the clay of these braziers. Most of them are poorly polished. The lower sections resemble a square brick shape. Traces of straw and coarse sand are clearly visible on the seats. It is likely that the place where these brazierss were made were first sprinkled with straw and coarse sand. Some of them have horn-shaped tumor protrusions from both sides on the back. In some cases, these protrusions are severely burned and crumbled. Some of them have hemispherical handles on the top, and some on the front, which are characteristic even of the Kur-Araz culture [Ashurov, 2002, p. 81, tab. XLIII, fig. 1–5]. This type of braziers is known from the Garakopektepe monument [Ismayilov, 1969, p. 62]. The closest analogies are known from the Bronze Age monuments of Kayakent in Dagestan. The clay braziers found in the Kayakent settlement attract attention with the extreme thickness of the seat parts [Munchayev, 1955, p. 12]. The length of clay braziers belonging to this category is 25–30 cm, width 15–20 cm, height 8–14 cm (height 17– 22 cm with the horn-shaped projection), and the thickness of the wall is 4–5 cm.

Clay braziers belonging to the seventh category are circular pan-type with low walls and usually with holes on the upper parts of their walls

(fig. 2, 2,3 ). The holes were mostly small. The walls of this type of braziers are raised in an expanded manner towards the mouth. Although such braziers are considered to be the most primitive form of clay braziers, they have also been found in settlements dating back to the beginning of the Early Iron Age (8^th – 7^th centuries BC). Apparently clay braziers representing this category were able to preserve their shape for a long time. The best examples of such braziers were found from the Late Chalcolithic layer of Khojakhan (Tovuz district) and Kerimli (Oguz district) settlements. The dimensions of the braziers belonging to this category are as follows: the mouth diameter is 25–35 cm, the seat diameter is 10–20 cm, the wall thickness is 4– 5 cm, and the inner depth is 15–25 cm. The best examples of clay braziers representing this category are known from Baba Dervish [Aliyev, 1976] and Saritepe sites [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962].

Areas of findings

The first examples of clay braziers were discovered by Y.I. Gummel in the 1930s in the settlement No. 1 in the Ganja River basin [Gummel, 1940, pp. 94-95]. They are more boatlike in shape, as some of these clay braziers have most of the seat section cut out. Only a narrow strip adjacent to the walls has been preserved from the seat.

Clay braziers were later found in settlement No. 1 in Mingachevir [Gaziyev, 1949, p. 42], Garatepe [Ismizadeh, 1962, p. 182, tab. III, 8–9 ], Saritepe [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962, tab. II, 7 , VII ,5,12 ], and Uzerliktepe [Kushnaryova, 1959; 1965] as a result of archaeological excavations of the monuments.

S.M. Gaziyev wrote that along with household jars, clay vessels of various shapes and contents, grain stones, iron tools, house model made of clay, etc. a clay brazier was found during the archaeological excavations conducted at settlement No. 1 on the right bank of the Kur River in Mingachevir. The author does not describe the exact location, dimensions or the shape of the find and only mentions that this find was discovered “...near the graves that have been repeatedly destroyed from the necropolis near the settlement” [Gaziyev, 1949, p. 42]. Since the graphic description and photo of the find are not given in the research work, it is impossible to give a specific opinion about it. However, the author writes that this find is an “hearth devices” [Gaziyev, 1949, p. 42]. It is interesting that the researcher found metal alloys in this brazier and suggests the possibility of metal melting here. The author, noting that it was thrown away as production waste in the necropolis, based on its structure and location, concludes that food was cooked in this brazier. According to S.M. Gaziyev, who noted that the find belongs to the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age (in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC – the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), such braziers stoves were used up until the Early Middle Ages [Gaziyev, 1949, p. 42].

A large number of clay braziers were discovered during the archaeological excavations conducted by O.Sh. Ismizadeh in 1957 in Garatepe (Beylagan district) (fig. 3, 3–4 ). Although the researcher considers all of them to be “clay hearth devices,” “plates for placing dishes on the hearth,” in fact, these are clay braziers according to their shape and characteristics. The clay composition of these hand-made utensils is a mixture of coarse sand and grained gravel. On the outer surface of all of them there are deep traces of burns and soot. In some of them, whole remains of coal were found [Ismizadeh, 1962, p. 182, tab. III, 8–9 ]. The clay braziers of Garatepe date back to the 1^st millennium BC.

I.H. Narimanov provided detailed information about the braziers found in the Saritepe settlement (Gazakh region), accurately showing their shape, dimensions, and graphic descriptions (fig. 3, 5–6, 6 ,2–3 ). The author writes about one of the many clay brazier finds “...the clay brazier found in the outer part of the northern wall of the settlement, at a depth of about 80 cm, has an angular crosssection of the sides. In the lower layers of the area, a hearth dug into the ground was found, the side walls of the hearth are parts of the clay brazier” [Narimanov, Khalilov, 1962, p. 25, tab. VII,12].

The oldest example of cylindrical braziers to date, obtained from Saritepe and settlements of the same period, was found at the settlement of Uzerliktepe, dating back to the first half of the 2nd millennium BC – the Middle Bronze Age [Kushnaryova, 1957, p. 57]. In the lowest layer of the two-meter cultural layer, divided into three construction periods at the settlement of Uzerliktepe, one clay brazier was found in the hearth [Kushnaryova, 1959, p. 392].

Two braziers obtained from the Qanli Toyra (Gazakh region) settlement are noteworthy (fig. 2, 2 ). In the wide belt-shaped part of the surface of the mouth of the first brazier, the height of which is 19 cm, the diameter of the edge of the mouth outside is 42 cm, the diameter of the seat is 28.5 cm, there is an opening with a diameter of 5 cm. This hole was opened during the brazier preparation. The shape of the hole resembles the circular depressions found on Early Bronze Age vessels (fig. 2, 2 ). Most likely, they were related to the religious-ideological outlook of the Kur-Araz culture tribes. The part of the second brazier that attracts the most attention is the mouth surface. The edges of the mouth surface, which has the shape of a wide belt, are convex. This feature is not observed in other braziers. According to S.H. Ashurov, this type of braziers had round lids. The researcher shows that it is impossible to say what the purpose of the large lids was, close analogues of which are known from Kultepe II (Nakhchivan AR) [Aliyev, 1991; Ashurov, 2002, p. 74].

Most of the boat-shaped clay braziers found in the Yastitepe settlement (Aghstafa district) were cut off from the seat section (fig. 1, 2 ). Only a narrow strip adjacent to the walls was preserved from the seat [Muradova, Narimanov, 1973, p. 52, tab. I, 2 ]. The wall of some of the Yastitepe braziers is very high, and reminds a cylindrical object [Muradova, Narimanov, 1973, p. 52, tab. I, 3 ]. During the excavations in 2012, parts of a large brazier or a clay boat were found in square IVA of the Yastitepe settlement, at a depth of 40 cm [Najafov, 2012]. It is unknown for what purpose this vessel, which looks more like a basin or clay trough, was used. Only two sides of this trough, consisting of four identical parts, remain. These sides were made separately, in the same shape, and then placed next to each other (fig. 2, 4 ). It is possible that it was used as a basin for kneading dough or as a brazier for making a fire in it. Height 10 cm, length 90 cm, width 50 cm, depth 8 cm, wall thickness 3.5 cm, clay composition is a mixture of coarse sand and fine gravel. There is a hole with a diameter of 5 cm in one corner. Its walls are oval, and its corners are bent and joined [Najafov, 2012, pp. 86-88].

Most of the clay braziers found in Yastitepe have the same composition and shape despite the depth of discovery. Some of the clay braziers, made by hand in a rough manner, with a mixture of coarse sand and small pebbles in the clay, were plastered with a special clay solution and then combed. This probably served to keep them from falling apart. Although the excavations failed to find an intact brazier, the fragments obtained provide a basis for forming a complete picture of its design. Clay braziers were not very tall (10– 15 cm high), and the walls edges were connected obliquely. Yastitepe braziers, which are rectangular in shape, mostly represent the second category (fig. 1, 2 ). There are traces of deep burning and soot, charcoal remains on the surface and inside of all the braziers [Najafov, 2012].

In Sarvantepe settlement (Gazakh district), the clay braziers, although not found intact, the samples obtained are sufficient to reconstruct their complete appearance (fig. 1, 1 , 6, 1 ). Based on the fragments, which consist mainly of seats and and fragments of wall parts, it can be said that the clay braziers were mainly red and light red in colour and were roughly made by hand. The composition of the clay is mixed; fine sand and particles of fine gravel were also found. The outer surface of the clay braziers was grooved with comb tools. Their outer surface is polished. This prevents them from disintegrating quickly. Marks of soot and burning are clearly visible inside the braziers. This is because a coal was constantly smoldering in them. No pattern element is found in any of the braziers. Only in occasional cases, the flattened mouth part of the wall of some braziers has incision and wavy pattern. Sarvantepe clay braziers are quadrangular, boat-shaped, round or oval and usually represent braziers of the second and third categories. Along with the archaeological materials of the Khojaly-Gedabey culture (14^th – 9^th centuries BC), clay braziers were an integral part of the daily life of the ancient inhabitants of the hill. The length of the Sarvantepe clay braziers varies from 30 to 50 cm, the height from 10 to 25 cm, the width from 20 to 25 cm, the wall thickness from 1 to 2 cm. Sometimes the thickness reaches 2.5 cm in the sloped part that passes from the seat to the wall. Clay braziers in which the wall and seat are connected at a right angle have not been found [Najafov, 2017, pp. 247-248].

The clay braziers found at the Mollamey settlement (Gazakh district) represent the second and thrid categories in terms of their form and composition (fig. 5, 2 ). Usually grey, pink or light-red in color with thick-walls (2–2.5 cm) braziers were made of high-quality hard clay with a mixed composition. Thick soot and ash were visible on both surfaces of the braziers. The clay braziers, which range in length from 30 to 50 cm and width from 25 to 45 cm, were shaped like a boat. It is rectangular in shape, usually the upper sides are raised. The mouth edges of some clay braziers are plain, while others are decorated with pressing patterns. Fragments of some braziers have also been found, in which there are holes in their bodies near the seats. These holes ensured good air circulation and good cooking of food on the coals. These holes were made in equal numbers on each side of the longitudinal walls of the clay braziers found at Mollamey.

Among the finds of the Late Chalcolithic – Early Bronze Age, it is worth noting the clay braziers discovered in 2016 in the territory of the village of Dagh Kesemen village of Agstafa district, in the area called Agstafachay settlement, from both excavation sites [Asadov, 2018b, p. 37, fig. 70–71]. They were found both in fragments and whole/intact (fig. 2, 1 ). The seat of the round high-walled oval-cut clay brazier found in excavation site II is thick wide and flat. The trunk rises vertically starting from the seat. The roughly made brazier has thick walls (1.2–3.4 cm) [Asadov, 2018a, p. 37, fig. 95]. In 2016, a clay brazier with a round mouth, cylindrical shape, and an oval carved seat was found at another site in the Agstafa district – in the quadrat No 17 of the multi-layer Poylu II settlement, from the Early Bronze Age layer (110 cm deep) [Asadov, 2018a, p. 21, photos 67, 140–142]. The height of the thickwalled brown clay brazier was 28 cm, the diameter of the mouth was 21.5 cm, the diameter of the seat was 17.2 cm, and the wall thickness was 1.2 cm. V.A. Asadov suggests that clay braziers found in both Agstafachay and Poylu II were used for heating the rooms and, possibly, during religious rituals [Asadov, 2018a; 2018b].

In the settlement of Kultepe II (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic), near the third building in the second excavation site, the remains of a hearth and a clay frying pan (brazier) installed on it were discovered [Aliyev, 1991; Bakhshaliyev, 2007, p. 123]. This brazier is very similar to braziers belonging to the seventh group. On the outside of the second defensive wall, near the remains of a square-shaped building made of clay bricks, the remains of a clay oven and brazier parts were found [Bakhshaliyev, 2007, p. 125].

Among the archaeological materials characteristic of the period found in the upper cultural layer of Toyretepe (Aghstafa district) belonging to the Khojaly-Gedabey culture (second half of the 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennia BC), there are clay brazier fragments. The edge of some of the clay brazierss of Toyretepe has a stamped pattern.

Black clay brazier fragments found in a settlement near Seifeli village (Shamkir district) date back to the end of the 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennia BC [Gummel, 1940].

Fragments of high-walled, oval in shape, clay braziers were found from rectangular and circular semi-dugouts and near hearths inside residential houses at the studied settlement No. 2 in Luleli valley of the Ganjachay district [Gummel, 1940].

Along with settlements dating back to the late Bronze and early Iron Ages, clay braziers were found in graves of this period, although very rarely. S.M. Gaziyev associated the presence of fire on the head section of the Early Iron Age grave monument, which he studied in Kerimli (Oguz district), and the placement of a pair of spheres with horn-shaped protrusions in front of the buried person with primitive religious belief in fire [Gaziyev, 1962]. The researcher also studied grave monuments in the area called Munjuglutepe between Sarisu and Garabaldir rivers and noted that clay braziers were found in some graves [Gaziyev, 1973, p. 149]. However, the author calls these braziers “tripod” and noted that these tripods were found in graves along with other clay vessels. A total of 9 earthen graves dating back to the beginning of the 1st millennium BC were studied in Kerimli, and clay braziers were found in graves No. 1, 3, 5 and 8 [Gaziyev, 1973, pp. 149155]. A hearth was discovered next to grave No. 5, a four-cornered brazier with 3 wide seats and a narrow upper part was found in the hearth. Three braziers were found in grave No. 8. In the center of these braziers, ash and coal remains were observed, and a pot-type container was placed on top of it. While the black braziers were baked well and delicately, the red clay braziers with a mixed clay composition were baked in an unstable temperature mode (fig. 4,4–5). The researcher associates the discovery of a large number of braziers from the destroyed graves with the serious consideration given to providing at that time to providing food for the deceased in the afterlife, and shows that “... therefore kitchen utensils were mainly placed in the graves. Clay braziers and hearths found near the burial chambers are signs of food preparation here” [Gaziyev, 1973, p. 156].

Discussion

Various utensils used in household and economic life related to the hearth, including stoveshaped and horseshoe-shaped forms of hearth devices, as well as clay braziers, are known from many Bronze Age settlements throughout the Caucasus [Kuftin, 1944, pp. 117-120; Krupnov, 1964, p. 27, fig. 1–2]. After some time, similar clay braziers and other hearth cooking accessories were widespread in Azerbaijan, especially in the advanced Iron Age [Aslanov et al., 1959, p. 89, tab. 36, 2,4,6,6а ; Gaziyev, 1962, p. 86, tab. VII, 1 ].

Square and oval braziers were also found in Karmir-Blur in the territory of present-day Armenia [Kushnaryova, 1965, p. 83, fig. 15]. The finds date back to the to the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze – Early Iron Ages.

In the Early Bronze Age, clay braziers with quadrangular lower parts, sometimes with hornshaped protrusions, were widespread in Shreshblur, Mokhrablur, Zvartnots, Tignis [Esayan, 1981, p. 16], Abelia and Shaulegat [Chubinishvili, 1971, tab. XXIII, 3,6 ], Khizanaant-Gora [Kushnaryova, Chubinishvili, 1970, fig. 26, 4 ], Kayakent [Munchayev, 1955, p. 12], Lugovoi, Zemo Avchali [Krupnov, 1964, p. 29, fig. 2, 16] and other monuments of the early Bronze Age.

This feature of clay braziers with wide beltshaped mouth surfaces and convex edges is not observed in other braziers, which is supposed to be related to the religious and ideological views of the Kur-Araz culture tribes. S.H. Ashurov considers these braziers known from Qanli Toyra (Gazakh district) and Kultepe II (Nakhchivan AR) to be braziers with round lids [Ashurov, 2002, p. 74]. It is interesting that this type of braziers, as noted by the researchers, is not so typical for the monuments of Elazig district, Ararat valley,

Shida Kartli, Kvemo-Kartli, Western Azerbaijan [Kushnaryova, Chubinishvili, 1970, p. 175]. However, this type of braziers is often found in the monuments of the Kura-Araz culture, studied in the Middle Kura river basin and on the territory of the Nakhchivan AR. This situation is also similar in the Lugovoi settlement in the North Caucasus. That is, in the center of all houses in Lugovoye, there are braziers buried in the ground, which cannot be moved from one place to another [Munchayev, 1961, p. 36, 40]. This type of braziers, which appeared on the basis of the local Chalcolithic culture, on the one hand, are very similar to the pail-type vessels of the Chalcolithic period. On the other hand, braziers of the same type were found near room No. 1 located at a depth of 13.4 m in Kultepe I [Habibullayev, 1982, pp. 35-36]. If we take into account that the cultural layer related to the Kura-Araz culture in Kultepe I continues up to 12.4–13 m, we can see that this type of braziers began to be used in the last stages of the Chalcolithic period [Habibullayev, 1982, p. 80].

Another type of Round braziers are Round braziers with inward protrusions that can be taken from one place to another. This type of braziers was first obtained from Shengavit, and therefore it was called the Shengavit type braziers. The Shengavit type braziers differ from those known from other sites in their size and patterns [Bayburtyan, 1938, fig. 2]. Later, this type of braziers were also discovered in Kvatskhlebi [Javakhishvili, Glonti, 1962, p. 62], Kulbakebi [Tekhov, 1963, fig. 15], Kur-Araz [Kosay, Turfan, 1959, fig. 30] and other monuments. In the territory of Azerbaijan, this type of braziers is known from Baba-Dervish [Muradova, Ismailov, 1971, p. 148, fig. 3–4]. R.M. Munchayev notes that “...it is interesting that to south and southwest of Shengavit, in Nakhchivan Kultepe or Goytepe, where 38 rooms have been cleaned, also in the Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age culture monuments of Western Asia (Shengavit-type) braziers with internal protrusions which can be taken from one place to another are not found. On the contrary, to the north and northeast of Shengavit, in Georgia, and especially in Kartli and South Ossetia, this type of braziers is found inside every house” [Munchayev, 1961, p. 42]. This should probably be explained by the fact that the compared monuments belong to different chronological periods. Kultepe I and Goytepe settlements are older than Shengavit. This is confirmed by the fact that the brazier model with an inward projection was obtained from the same stratum as the incised vessels and handles at Makhta I settlement. It should be noted that among the monuments of Nakhchivan AR, the Round brazier model with an inward protrusion was found only in the settlement of Makhta I [Ashurov, 2002, p. 76]. Its seat is flat, diameter is 12 cm. Its walls are low (4 cm) and thick (3 cm) and have a perpendicular shape of the seat. Only two protrusions resembling a bird’s beak (3 cm long) were preserved. The third protrusion was broken along with a part of the braziers model. This type of brazier was also found in the territory of Georgia [Japaridze, 1964, p. 225, tab. I,2].

At the settlement of the Early Bronze Age Velikent II, among a small collection of kitchen ceramics, M.G. Gadzhiev discovered “...a brazier (andrion) handle, designed in the form of a flat anthropomorphic image. A large nose protrudes in relief on his face, eyes or ears are depicted as round holes. The mouth is depicted as a rounded depressed pitunder the nose, and hair is depicted as incised lines” [Gadzhiev M.G., Gadzhiev Sh.M., 2002, p. 259]. It is a unique projection of the vertical edge of a clay brazier with rounded lateral recesses and a slightly rounded rim, bordered on the inside by a carved zigzag pattern [Маgomedov, 2005, p. 70]. The usual horseshoe-shaped stands, which are found in abundance at the Kura-Araxes sites, including in Dagestan, are, of course, morphologically very different from the clay braziers, are also well known at the sites of the Kura-Araxes culture, especially in the North-Eastern Caucasus [Маgomedov, 2005, p. 72].

Round or oval braziers with high walls are found in the sites of the Kars region in Eastern Anatolia, Sarigamysh, Karaz, etc. Among the archaeological materials of Bronze Age settlements [Ashurov, 2002, p. 78] Arevik of present-day Armenia [Khanzadyan, 1969, pp. 163-164], Khizanaant-Gora, Amiranis-Gora [Kushnaryova, Chubinishvili, 1970, fig. 2110] etc. are known from the Early Bronze Age monuments. According to O.M. Japaridze and G.S. Ismailzadeh, round or oval-shaped braziers with high wallsfirst appeared in the South and Central Caucasus and from there spread to adjacent territories [Japaridze, 1964; Ismailzadeh, 2008].

A large brazier was discovered in the upper layers of the Early Bronze Age layer of Kultepe II (Nakhchivan AR). It was kneaded by a simple winding method from clay mixed with coarse sand. The edge of the mouth is wide and the walls taper downwards. The diameter is 1.1 m, the width of the mouth surface is 10 cm, and the depth is 13 cm. A black, hemispherical handle covered from the inside with light pink engobe was found inside the brazier. An analogue of this type of braziers is known from room No. XIII of the Amiranis-Gora monument in Georgia [Kushnaryova, Chubinishvili, 1970, p. 64, fig. 22]. Considering that the round brazier found in Amiranis-Gora is located in the center of a large square room with an area of 48 sq/m, it can be assumed that this type of brazier was also used for heating houses. T.N. Chubinishvili notes that the brazier found in Amiranis-Gora is the same as the clay hearths found in the religious buildings in Iraq and Central Asia dating back to the 3rd millennium [Sarianidi, 1962, pp. 50-51, fig. 3; Chubinishvili, 1966, p. 71].

For what purposes were clay braziers used?

The fact that clay braziers are most often found in ash-mixed soil near the hearth places, and that their outer surface is covered with a thick layer of soot, gave researchers the reason to call such clay samples braziers [Muradova, Narimanov, 1973, p. 52]. In general, there are different opinions about the purposes of using braziers. But there is no doubt that clay braziers are a type of equipment used in connection with the hearth in the dwellings of ancient people.

V.S. Sorokin and K.Kh. Kushnaryova wrote that regardless of their shape, clay braziers were used only for baking bread [Kushnaryova, 1965, p. 83, fig. 16]. K.K. Kushnaryova suggested that bread was baked in the clay brazier found at the hearth site in the lowest part of the cultural layer at the Uzerliktepe settlement [Kushnaryova, 1959, p. 392].

E.I. Krupnov believes that clay braziers were definitely used during rituals related to various beliefs conducted around the fire [Krupnov, 1964]. The researcher believes that clay braziers probably appeared in connection with the belief in the Sun, which is a symbol of abundance, fertility, and were used during rituals associated with the Sun.

R.G. Маgomedov believes that in response to possible doubts about the correctness of the comparison of the anthropomorphic handle from the brazier from Velikent II (Dagestan) and the anthropomorphic central projections on the horseshoe-shaped stands, it should be noted that are dealing, firstly, with the artifacts of approximately the same cultural affiliation; secondly, we are comparing stylistically similarly expressed anthropomorphic images; and, thirdly, we find an undoubted objective-functional connection between clay braziers with low sides and horseshoe-shaped stands for fireplaces [Маgomedov, 2005, p. 72].

A.A. Iessen writes that these braziers were used to heat houses without a hearth or a fireplaces [Iessen, 1965, p. 118].

V.H. Aliyev noted that none of these features were observed in the braziers of Baba Dervish (Gazakh district) [Aliyev, 1976, p. 120; Aliyev, 1991]. He claims that clay braziers were found inside and outside the dwellings with large hearths at the indicated site. According to the researcher, “...clay braziers were placed on the hearth inside the house in winter, and the oval and square holes in the center were intended for the flame to rise upward. When coals were formed in the hearth, then a dish with food was placed on such braziers and heated. In hot seasons, such braziers were placed on the hearths in the yards of residential houses and used together with them”. One can agree with some of the researcher’s views. Thus, in recent years, large-scale excavations have been carried out in Yastitepe (Aghstafa district) and Sarvantepe (Gazakh district) settlements dated to the Late Bronze-Early Iron Ages, and along with hearths a great deal of clay braziers were found inside the dugouts and buildings. According to our statistical calculations, more than 80 clay brazier fragments belonging to different groups, which do not represent the same fragments were found in Yastitepe, and more than 100 clay brazier fragments were found in Sarvantepe. The idea that so many braziers were used to heat the home does not seem convincing. However, the idea of placing clay braziers on the stove for cooking or heating heating up prepared food does not seem logical either. Thus, for cooking food on the hearth, unlike clay braziers, clay pot trays, tripods, or, in the words of S.M. Gaziyev, “trivets” were used, which had a specific function.

According to V.B. Bakhshaliyev, who noted that the braziers found at Kultepe II settlement (Nakhchivan AR) were used for baking bread, the remains of a clay hearth, brazier-shaped, thickwalled clay objects together with grains gives grounds for saying that bread was made here [Bakhshaliyev, 2007, pp. 123-125]. S.H. Ashurov believes that there it is impossible for a pot to be placed on any of the clay braziers. The clay braziers that did not have any signs of burning signs were used only as a stand for the oilers [Ashurov, 2002, p. 78].

This feature of the clay braziers, associated with the religious and ideological views of the Kur-Araz culture tribes, the mouth surfaces of which have the shape of a wide belt, and the edges are convex, is not observed in other braziers. There are different explanations of the researchers about the purpose of using braziers with round lids known from Qanli Toyra (Gazakh district) and Kultepe II (Nakhchivan AR). O.H. Habibullayev noted that these braziers were used for heating houses [Habibullayev, 1963, p. 158]. G.S. Ismailzadeh notes that these braziers were used for domestic purposes. Flat pans were placed on such braziers, on which they fried cereals or baked bread, using them as a saj (an iron disk for baking bread) [Ismailzadeh, 2008].

There is no no consensus on the use of round braziers with an internal triangular protrusion at the edge of the mouth. According to E.A. Bayburtyan, these “...braziers were not for household, but for religious purposes. But they were not placed on the altars” [Bayburtyan, 1938, p. 258]. If we take into account that in Shengavit this type of braziers were placed in the centers of large circular halls surrounded by several square rooms [Bayburtyan, 1938, p. 258], then we can admit the possibility of their use for religious purposes in the Shengavit settlement. However, we have already mentioned above that Shengavit braziers differ from those obtained from other monuments in a number of features. In this case, we should admit the possibility of their use for a dual purpose. In other words, they were used in everyday life, but also used during rituals related to religious cults. B.A. Kuftin [Kuftin, 1944, p. 115], O.M. Japaridze [Japaridze, 1964], R.M. Munchayev [Munchayev, 1 955], F.M. Muradova and G.S. Ismailzadeh [Muradova, Ismailov, 1971] also noted that these braziers had a dual character – that is, they were used both for religious rituals and in everyday life.

Conclusion

A large number of clay braziers were found in the Bronze Age settlements in the territory of Nakhchivan AR and Karabakh (fig. 4, 1–4 ), Saritepe (fig. 3, 5–6 , 6, 2–3 ), Sarvantepe (fig. 1, 1 , 6, 1 ), Qanli Toyre (fig. 2, 2 ), Qiyamattepe, Baba-Dervish (fig. 5, 1 ), Yastitepe (fig. 1, 2 , 2, 3–4 ), Nadirbeytepe, Toyratepe, Shomutepe, Goyerchintepe, Aranchi hills, Aghaligtepe in the territory of Gazakh district, Bozalganli and Khojakhan (fig. 6, 4–6 ) settlements in the territory of Tovuz district, from Mingachevir (fig. 3, 1–2 ), Ganchachay basin, Sari Rama, Meshetepe, Gemetepe, Uzerliktepe and other settlements in Shamkir, Oguz (fig. 4, 5 ) and Gabala (fig. 4, 3–4 ) districts. Clay were found mainly in the most populated areas. So far, not a single fragment of a clay brazier has been found in the graves of the Bronze Age in Azerbaijan. Very few examples of clay braziers used for fire rituals have been found in Iron Age graves (such as the Kerimli graves).

Clay braziers, which appeared at the end of the Chalcolithic period, were further improved in their shape and purpose in the Bronze Age.

The most ancient examples of clay braziers are round or oval in shape, which is confirmed by the fact that they were obtained directly from the late Chalcolithic layer of Kultepe I.

In our opinion, clay braziers, which are a type of hearth, were used for two purposes: domestically in everyday life and during religious rituals. Brazierss, which were an integral part of the life and coolong of primitive people in the household, were used both as a base for placing dishes on and for baking bread, as well as for cooking and heating. Heating houses and semidugouts with clay braziers seems somewhat illogical. The use of clay braziers for religious purposes is no exception. Thus, as a symbol of faith in the Sun, performance of constant fire rituals, maintaining the hearth, faith in fire and worship of fire were an integral part of the religious worldview of people of the Bronze Age. For this purpose, a a constant fire was lit in clay braziers. Belief in fire was a symbol of faith in the Sun which was a symbol of abundance and fertility. Clay braziers, which had been a part of people’s domestic and religious life for many centuries, were used for more specific purposes in later stages of historical development and, finally, today they have retained their relevance only as kitchen utensils.

APPENDIXES

Fig. 1. Clay braziers:

1 – Sarvantepe settlement (Gazakh district); 2 – Yastitepe settlement (Agstafa district)

Fig. 2. Clay braziers:

1 – Agstafachay settlement (Agstafa district); 2 – Qanli Toyre settlement (Gazakh district); 3–4 – Yastitepe settlement (Agstafa district)

Fig. 3. Types of clay braziers from the settlements of the Mingachevir ( 1–2 ), Garatepe ( 3–4 ), Saritepe ( 5–6 ), and Uzerliktepe ( 7–10 )

Fig. 4. Types of clay braziers from the Bronze Age period settlements of the Nakhchivan ( 1–2 ), Gabala ( 3–4) , Oguz ( 5 ) districts

Fig. 5. Clay braziers:

1 – Baba Dervish settlement (Gazakh district); 2 – Mollamey settlement (Gazakh district)

Fig. 6. Clay braziers:

1 – Sarvantepe settlement (Gazakh district); 2–3 – Saritepe settlement (Gazakh district); 4–6 – Khojakhan (Tovuz district)