By Azernews

By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Azerbaijan’s Ganja and Goranboy have very interesting and rich history. These areas are full of historically valuable artifacts that attract researchers, especially archaeologists, from all around the world.

The Azerbaijani-Italian international archaeological expedition has started research works in Ganja and Goranboy.

The international expedition is led by Ph.D. in History Bakhtiyar Jalilov, head of the department of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS), and Italian Nicola Laneri, director of the School of Religious Studies at the Italian Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (CAMNES), Professor of the University of Catania.

The international expedition involves CAMNES experts who previously conducted archaeological research in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Syria, Cyprus, Israel and Georgia - Stefano Valentini, Guido Guarducci, and Lorenzo Crescioli, who is a ceramic specialist at Ca 'Foscari University of Venice.

Along with them, art conservator Karen Abend, professor of anthropology at Turkey’s Hacettepe University, bioarchaeologist Yilmaz Selim Erdal, and professor at the department of anthropology at France’s Lumiere University Lyon 2, bioanthropologist Modwene Poulmarc'h also participate in the expedition.

In 2018, the expedition conducted the first study of kurgans (mounds) related to the Late Bronze and Early Iron Periods around the city of Ganja and the Early Bronze Period discovered in the territory of the village of Garadaghli, Goranboy region. This year, research takes place at both sites.

After the research of the kurgans in the territory of Ganja and Goranboy, the expedition came to conclusion that the world's only archaeological park, which includes a complex of kurgans of the Bronze Age, is located in Azerbaijan.

Ganja is located on the banks of the Ganjachay River, at the foot of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. The centuries-old history of the city left many architectural monuments on its streets.

The founding of Ganja dates back to the middle of the 9th century, but the first settlements appeared here in the pre-Islamic period, roughly in the 7th century, as evidenced by the ancient mausoleums found in these places.

Goranboy region is famous by various items of pottery, colored bowls, and many other archaeological artifacts. They did not lose their quality, despite the fact that nearly 900 years have passed since their production. All artifacts are held in the Goranboy Museum of Local History.