Rock Art of the Ana Zaga Cave Shelter in the Archaeological Landscape of Gobustan, Azerbaijan
https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.4.045-054
Abstract
The Agisoft and 3D Studio Max software was used to study the petroglyphs of the Ana Zaga rock shelter, the largest in Gobustan. Stylistic features typical of various periods are described, and radiocarbon estimates for various cultural layers are given. Chronological stages in the evolution of rock art are defined. On the basis of geological data concerning transgressions and regressions of the Caspian Sea, the date of the first human settlement of the Ana Zaga shelter is estimated. The species composition of extinct faunas represented in rock art is assessed. It is concluded that in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, following the rise of the sea level, the rock shelter became the principal habitat. In the Bronze Age, after the sea level had fallen, the middle and lower terraces became suitable for living. As new landscapes were settled, the themes of petroglyphs changed.
About the Author
M. N. Farajova
Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Leading Researcher, Institute of Archaeology, Ethnography and Anthropology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences; Associate Professor, Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts; Member of Board of Directors of Scientific Committee PRAT-CARP (Prehistoric Rock Art Trails / Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe); Expert of the Project “Rock Art Sites in the List of UNESCO”, Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences.
Javid H. Ave. 115, Baku, AZ 1143, Azerbaijan; Inshaatchilar Ave. 39, Baku, AZ 1065, Azerbaijan; Calle Luis Riera Vega, 2, Santander, ES-39012, Spain; Ulyanova 19, Moscow, 117292, Russia
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For citations:
Farajova M.N. Rock Art of the Ana Zaga Cave Shelter in the Archaeological Landscape of Gobustan, Azerbaijan. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia. 2023;51(4):45-54. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.4.045-054
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