Gobustan rock art and cultural landscape, Azerbaijan

Khursheed Dinshaw (India)

Gobustan in Azerbaijan is an interesting site depicting prehistoric rock art. The petroglyphs here vary in age from the Upper Palaeolithic Era to the Middle Ages (Fig. 1). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, more than 6,000 images can be seen here (Figs. 2 to 9). The petroglyphs are carved on three mountains called Beyukdash, Djingirdag and Kichikdash, respectively.

Fig. 1. Petroglyphs varying from Upper Palaeolithic Era to the Middle Ages.

Fig. 2. Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape.

There is also a museum where artefacts that have been excavated are exhibited (Figs. 10 to 14). The museum also provides information about the climate change periodization of Gobustan. About 21,000 years ago, juniper trees grew here. There is also a strong possibility of tugay forests in which wild cherries and pomegranates grew. (Tugayis a form of forest or woodland associated with fluvial and floodplain areas in arid climates.) Wild cherries and pomegranates grow in the region even today.

Fig. 3. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Azerbaijan.

Fig. 4. More than 6,000 images can be seen here.

Credit for the discovery of the petroglyphs goes to Prof I M Jafarzade. He found them in the 1930s on the Djingirdag Mountain.

Fig. 5. Visitors learning about petroglyphs.

Fig. 6. Prof I M Jafarzade discovered the images on these rocks.

Most of the petroglyphs of Gobustan have been made by engraving an image contour on the rocks. On the Beyukdash Mountain, on rock No 67, there are a total of 12 anthropomorphic images. Of these, five are drawn on the upper row and the remaining seven on the lower row. Dating back to the Mesolithic Era, three of the petroglyphs have headwear, while some have been drawn with joined hands.

Fig. 7. Petroglyphs of the site were discovered in 1930s.

Fig. 8. Some of the pathways of the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape.

In the Ana Zagha Shelter of Gobustan, close to 250 rock carvings have been found. In the upper part, petroglyphs of bulls were discovered, while the lower rock has carvings of men with bows and arrows. Inside the Ana Zagha Shelter, a goat and horse were also found.

Fig. 9. Visitors walking to one of the shelters of Gobustan.

The images of auroch (the wild ancestors of modern domestic cattle) of this shelter belong to 18 to 15 millennium BC Another shelter was named the ‘Bull Shelter’ on account of the large number of bull petroglyphs found in it. The walls of this shelter also exhibit oxen and boats.

Fig. 11. The name of the museum displayed on rock.

Fig. 14. Some of the exhibits at the Gobustan museum.

All photographs are by Khursheed Dinshaw.

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