DRAWINGS OF PREY ANIMALS ON THE ROCK CARVINGS OF BRONZE AGE IN AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

Including numerous drawings of prey animals, there are many drawings of animals in the Bronze Age rock art in Azerbaijan. There are examples of interesting drawings of prey animals on the rock carvings of Gobustan, Kalbajar, Gamigaya, Absheron and Western Azerbaijan called as Armenia at present. These are the drawings of leopards, dogs and wolves. The monuments that have these drawings are situated in various natural and geographical areas and that is why the causes of drawing prey animals, the carving technique and style of drawings are different. Prey animals were drawn sometimes alone, and in many cases in the compositions that were distinguished with their variety of topics and original plot lines. The drawings were carved mostly on soft limestone by drilling technique in Gobustan and Absheron. But the drawings were carved mostly by forging technique in the monuments in Lesser Caucasus. One of the main reasons of it is that stones are solid and similar to gabbro diorite in Kalbajar and Gamigaya. There is only one exception among all these drawings. It is a drawing in which a spotted tiger attacks a deer. A distinctive feature of this drawing is that colour and paint have been used here. This is the only drawing of prey animal that has been known in Azerbaijan rock art and in which colour has been used. With regards to the age of the above-mentioned drawings, researchers include prey animals of Absheron in the end of Bronze Age –III-II millennium BC, Gobustan’s drawings in medieval and drawings of Lesser Caucasus (Gamigaya, Kalbajar, Western Azerbaijan) in Bronze Age. More detailed study of the drawings of prey animals in future will open new pages in the study of the fauna of Azerbaijan, the hunting and livestock farming and religious - mystical perspectives of people etc.