Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 51 (4) 2023   doi:10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.4.045-054

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Rock Art of the Ana Zaga Cave Shelter
in the Archaeological Landscape of Gobustan, Azerbaijan

M.N. Farajova

Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, Inshaatchilar Avenue 39, Baku, AZ 1065, Azerbaijan

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.

Keywords: Gobustan, Ana Zaga rock shelter, Early Mesolithic, Mount Boyukdash, rock art, AMS-dating, 3D-modeling