The Neolithic in the South Caucasian Mil Steppe: A Diverse Mosaic

Year 2021, Issue: 1, 79 - 116, 30.12.2021

Barbara Helwıng Tevekkül Aliyev

https://doi.org/10.54930/TARE.2021.3

Abstract

This article provides a synthetic overview on recent research into the Neolithic settlement history in the Mil Steppe of southern Azerbaijan. Short-lived and closely spaced, these settlement sites represent short-term and shifting occupations during a narrow time range, from 5800 to 5300 BCE. A highly diverse material culture attests to variable cultural affiliations of the populations, indicating some influx of ceramic craft traditions from regions to the south, in particular the Iranian highlands. In comparison with neighboring regions, the place of the Mil Steppe Neolithic within the wider context of Neolithic South Caucasia is evaluated as a distinctive regional variety.

Keywords

Neolithic, Mil Steppe, Azerbaijan, Shifting Occupation Pattern, Sixth Millennium BCE

Thanks

The consecutive projects “Ancient Kura” and “Kura in Motion!” were conducted in collaboration between the German Archaeological Institute (B. Helwing, S. Hansen), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (B. Lyonnet), the National Academy of Sciences Baku (T. Aliyev, F. Guliyev) and the National Museum Tbilisi – Otar-Lordkipanidze-Centre for Archaeological Research (G. Mirtskhulava) and generously funded by two joint grants from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR). The Mil Steppe research represents the easternmost leg of this study and took place from 2009 to 2014 under the direction of the authors. We wish to thank the numerous participants and specialists of the International Mil Plain Expedition for their efforts, and the National Academy of Sciences in Baku and the German Archaeological Institute for their continuous support.

Güney Kafkasya Mil Bozkırlarında Neolitik Çağ: Renkli Bir Mozaik

Abstract

Makalede Güney Azerbaycan’da bulunan Mil Bozkırlarında Neolitik yerleşimin tarihine dair yakın tarihli araştırmaların bireşimli bir genel değerlendirmesi sunulmuştur. Kısa ömürlü ve yakın konumlu bu yerleşme yerleri, MÖ 5800’den 5300’e kadar olan dar bir zaman aralığında kısa süreli ve yer değiştiren yerleşimleri temsil etmektedir. Yerleşmelerin son derece zengin çeşitli maddi kültürü, toplulukların değişen ölçülerde kültürel etkileşime girdiklerini ortaya koymaktadır; güneyde bulunan bölgelerden, özellikle İran’ın yüksek kesimlerinden kimi çanak çömlek gelenekleri bölgeye ulaşmıştır. Komşu bölgelerle kıyaslandığında, Mil Bozkırları Neolitiği Güney Kafkasya Neolitiği bağlamında özgün bir bölgesel varyasyon olarak değerlendirilmektedir.

Keywords

Neolitik, Mil Bozkırları, Azerbaycan, Yarı Yerleşik Düzen, MÖ altıncı binyıl

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