The Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) has conducted archaeological reconnaissance work in Turkiye's I?d?r province with the participation of Turkish specialists, Azernews reports.

The archaeological reconnaissance team included academic staff from the Institute, led by PhD in History M.M. Huseynov, with members S.H. Ashurov and B.M. Jalilov participating.

This expedition marks the first archaeological expedition conducted by Azerbaijani archaeologists in a foreign country and represents a new joint research initiative between Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

The results of the reconnaissance research, conducted during the first year of the five-year project, are highly significant for shedding light on key issues in Eastern Anatolian and Azerbaijani archaeology. In a short time, settlements from the late Chalcolithic–early Bronze and middle Bronze ages were identified, along with an urban site, a fortress, and numerous kurgans. Surface materials were collected, with the most important artifacts transferred to the I?d?r Museum.

The newly identified sites are closely linked to Azerbaijani, especially Nakhchivan, heritage, and future research is expected to yield exciting discoveries contributing to shared history. One of these newly discovered sites is planned to undergo extensive excavations in the coming years under the leadership of Azerbaijani archaeologists.