Archaeological Excavations of the Tovuzchay II Necropolis (Azerbaijan) in 2014–2018 Year

Tovuzchay II necropolis is located on the left higher bank of the Tovuzchay River in the Tovuz district in the west of Azerbaijan Republic. Archaeological excavations in the necropolis were conducted in 4 stages between 2014 and 2018. 135 graves and and a place of worship were found in Tovuzchay II necropolis. The burials discovered in the necropolis were of two types: stone-covered and soil burials. These burials where archaeological materials and human burials are the same, differ only in structure and the top cover. The burial pits were dug in an oval, quadrangular forms. One of the interesting facts is that the place of worship in the necropolis was also discovered, and this area was probably the place where religious rituals were held. Only in 34 burials of the necropolis were human skeletons discovered. Rich archaeological material – pottery vessels, metal items for domestic use, jewellery, weaponry, beads made of different materials and other artefacts were found in the burials. According to the authors, the necropolis belongs to the culture Late Bronze-Early Iron culture (second half of the 2nd millennium-early 1st millennium BC).