Geoarchaeological studies in Azerbaijan and North Caucasus in 2023

In 2023, the Russian-Azerbaijani geoarchaeological expedition took samples from several key sites of the Early and Middle Paleolithic (Kermek, Sinyaya Balka, Darvagchay-1, Tinit-1, etc.) in the Northern Caucasus for absolute dating. In the Republic of Azerbaijan, several areas were studied during archaeological survey aimed at discovering new sites. The surroundings of the Mingachevir reservoir were explored and an indicative collection of stone artifacts was collected at the Garadzha location, including choppers, handaxes, picks, etc. During the survey in the middle reaches of the Kura River (Agstafa and Gazakh regions), eight concentrations of surface finds of different periods, including those of the Paleolithic appearance, were discovered. The highest density of archaeological evidence was near the village of Alpout, where the Goyazan-1-4 locations were discovered. Analysis of collections from all four locations suggests that archaeological complexes from at least two periods were in this area. The evidence from the Goyazan-1 and -2 sites is associated with the Early Bronze Age, as evidenced by the pottery and use of obsidian, which was untypical of the Paleolithic. Artifacts from the Goyazan-4 workshop and a small collection from Goyazan-3 show Paleolithic appearance and individual signs of a possible use of Levallois technique, which indicates their Middle Paleolithic attribution. The raw materials used in the workshop were visually almost identical to flint from the Stone Age layers of the Damdzhyly cave located ~10 km north of the workshop.