Our history

Tarikh DOSTIYEV DoctorD of History MEDIEVAL IN LIGHT OF 12th century glazed crockery ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS

IN THE MIDDLE AGES, THERE WERE MANY POPULATED, MODERN CITIES WITH POWERFUL DEFENSIVE WALLS, MONUMENTAL BUILDINGS, UNDERGROUND WATER PIPES, SANITARY FACILITIES, CLOSED MARKETS, WAREHOUSES AND ADVANCED CRAFT IN . AMONG THEM WAS SHAMKIR, WHICH IS CONSIDERED AN ANCIENT CITY.

Excavation at Naringala he 9th century historian Ahmad al-Balazuri, who described the Thistory of the Arab conquest, says: “... Salman ibn Rabi’a al-Bahili (Arab commander – T. D.) sent an army which seized the city of Sham- kur, which was considered an ancient city,” (Baladzori, 1927, p.14). This report indicates that even in the 7th century, Shamkir was considered an ancient city. This city, located in the contact zone between two civilizations - Muslim and Western - on the Great Silk Road, played an important role in

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 36 11/23/12 10:04 PM Monumental building the military-political, socio-economic stitute of Archaeology and Ethnogra- and cultural life of medieval Azerbai- phy of the National Academy of Sci- jan. Its prosperity falls to the 11th-12th ences of Azerbaijan, Ministry of Cul- centuries. Shamkir attracted not only ture and Tourism of Azerbaijan and scientists, merchants and craftsmen, the Public Association for Regional but also invaders. In the 1230’s, Mon- Development in 2007-2012, station- gol hordes looted and destroyed ary and large-scale archaeological many cities of Azerbaijan, including excavations are being implemented Shamkir. In the late Middle Ages, the in the ancient settlement of Shamkir. city of Shamkir was in ruins. Even the One of the achievements of the ruins of the city were impressive. The archaeological work in Shamkir is 11-12th century 17th century Russian traveler Arseniy the study of the fortifi cation of the arrow heads Sukhanov says: “... we passed through city. It is known that the defenses an empty city, which was large, built of the medieval cities of Azerbaijan from bricks and stone and was diff er- were closely related to topographi- ent from inside; both had damaged cal conditions. Like other lowland walls, but the crying tower (minaret cities of Azerbaijan, the fortifi cations – T. D.) was much higher, intact and of Shamkir were erected artifi cially. built from bricks. There is also a brick The city with the citadel was fortifi ed bridge over the river here... “(Ortho- with suffi cient reliability. dox-Palestine, 1889, p.103) The citadel of the city lies in the The ancient settlement of Sham- eastern part of the settlement on the kir is located in the western region left bank of the river . It of the Azerbaijan Republic on the is rectangular in shape, elongated left bank of the river Shamkirchay from north to south and covers an at 40050/11.45//N and 46007/44.19//E. area of more than one hectare. In According to a joint project of the In- the process of archaeological work,

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 37 11/23/12 10:04 PM Our history 5th erxcavation site. Lower layer

soil here was very hard. The citadel wall is erected as com- bined masonry and represents a se- ries of alternating lines of fi red bricks, river gravel and hewn white stone. Medieval architects and builders paid great attention to the wall covering. Using a combination of masonry, Remains of urban sewage they created a masterpiece of mili- tary architecture. It should be noted that the city of Shamkir was one of the centers of the Arran architecture school, for which polychrome, com- the layout and design elements the walls ranges from 5.5-7.5 metres bined masonry walls are very char- became clear and new data was and width - 3.2-4 metres. The exca- acteristic. acquired regarding the dating and vations showed that the foundation The walls of the citadel, accord- periodization of the construction and of the wall of the citadel was diff er- ing to archeology, were built in the repair of this defensive structure dur- ent, depending on the terrain and 11th century and renovated several ing the Middle Ages. Archaeological the nature of the soil. For example, times. After the Mongol destruction, excavations uncovered remains of if near the north-eastern tower of the walls were in ruins. The recon- the eastern, southern and northern the eastern wall, the foundation and struction of the destroyed walls took walls. The walls of the citadel were basement were powerful, monolithic place quite late. The restored part of reinforced by corner towers and and two-stage, in the central tower, the walls stands out for its coarseness rectangular buttresses. The height of there was no need for that, since the and primitiveness.

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 38 11/23/12 10:04 PM Remains of the city wall

It became clear that in the 8th-10th In the lower layer of excavation V, 27.5 meters. The gate located on the centuries, the city was protected by the length of the excavated wall is 80 southern side was protected by two a fortress wall built from river stone meters and width - 3.8 meters. This fl anking towers, and the southern and mud bricks. The lower rows of part of the wall is reinforced with four tower turned out more devastated. the masonry were built from river semi-circular monolithic towers. The Both towers were skillfully covered stones on a plaster solution. The top parallel inner defensive wall of the with local white stone. The distance lines of the masonry were built from city has been studied at a length of between the towers is 4-4.1 meters. mud bricks. In the 11th century, paral- lel city walls were built. Both walls are built with combined masonry, which is characteristic of the Arran architec- ture school. The distance between them is up to 10 meters. The outer wall was located along the old wall. Note that excavation V, where the fortress walls of the shahristan were discovered and studied, is double- decker unlike other excavations. They connect at the top tier, where the city walls come very close to the citadel, creating a narrow corridor. This wall and tower are parallel to the wall of the citadel and tower. The distance between the walls is 4-4.3 meters.

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 39 11/23/12 10:04 PM Our history Glazed ceramics, 13th century In the area between the second full and the study of the four one has and third towers of the exterior of only just begun. They are square or the wall, a construction with arched rectangular. Room № 5-7 were in the openings was found. It is adjacent southern part of the complex. to the city wall, i.e. the fortress wall The lower rows of the masonry forms its western wall. of the buildings were built from During the archaeological exca- river stone on a plaster solution, and vations, valuable information was the upper rows from mud bricks are acquired on the civil structures of 30x30x8 cm in size. The thickness Shamkir. In the north-eastern part of of the walls is 1.6-1.68 meters. The the citadel, the remains of a monu- height of the masonry is more than mental building built in the 9th cen- one meter. The outer wall is thick- tury were found. This is a building ened, and its width is 3.2-4 meters. with a yard and covers an area of During refurbishment on the outside approximately 0.25 hectares. In the eastern wall, the mud brick masonry compositional-planning scheme of was partially covered with fi red brick the building, the quadrangle yard and southern walls and around col- masonry. In the passage from stone with many rooms around occupied umns, a layer with a thickness of masonry to mud brick, there are re- the central place. The outer wall of 25-30 cm, consisting of fragments mains of a wooden anti-seismic zone. the building has a defensive nature of fi red bricks and a lime layer, was Judging by the residue, the diameter and resembles castle walls with semi- found. It can be assumed that this of the bars is 14-16 cm. The height circular and rectangular towers. Ar- layer was formed following the col- of the walls of the complex reaches lapse of the roof of the eyvan. A large 3.8 meters. number of fragments of architectural decorations made of plaster have been found here. It can be assumed that they used to be fragments of ar- chitectural decorations that formed the building’s ledge. In these frag- ments, there are geometric and or- namental elements, and individual Ancient glazed ceramics, 9th century carved letters of the Arabic alphabet. Minai ceramic fragment, On the eastern wall of the yard, In the western side of the yard, 12-early 13th centuries there are remains of four and on there are remains of a wall built of chaeological excavations have stud- the southern wall - two doorways. mud brick. It connects to a column ied the eastern half of the complex They were all later closed with mud in square 7F. The length of the wall in a relatively better way. bricks. The width of the doorways is 17.5 meters, width - 1.6 meters at In the yard, along the eastern, is 1.23 cm. In the eastern half, there the bottom of the masonry and 1.1 northern and southern walls, the re- were four rooms, the fi rst of which meters at the top. The height of the mains of seven columns have been has been excavated partially, two – in remains of the wall is 3.6 meters. In identifi ed and studied. They are built front of the western wall of the yard, from mud and fi red brick and stand this wall creates a kind of corridor out for their archaic forms. The height with a width of 3.3 meters. In the of the relative well-preserved column north-western corner of the yard, a is 3.2 meters. layer of a major fi re has been found. The fl oor of the building was orig- In the layer saturated with chunks inally covered with lime plaster. Sub- of coal, ash and burnt earth, along sequently, the courtyard was paved with artifacts of diff erent categories, with fi red bricks. Along the eastern charred seeds of peaches, plums,

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 40 11/23/12 10:04 PM 12-13th century ceramics

Inscription, 11-12th centuries dogwood, watermelon and cucum- ber have been found. This fact allows us to conclude that the fi re was rag- ing in summer, in August or in early September. Building remains discovered in excavation VII in the shahristan also belong to a large complex. The main structure of the complex with an area of about 200 square meters, judg- The city successfully addressed deserves attention. The entrance ap- ing by the remains, was rectangular issues of renovation. To meet the erture of the structure is rectangular in shape. From the south, east and needs of citizens for drinking water, in shape. On the northern side, the north, it is joined by other buildings, kahrizes were constructed and water hydraulic installation had a staircase some of which remained outside the pipes made of ceramic pipes were with 13 steps made of fi red bricks excavation. It is assumed that the laid. The kahriz -an underground and white local stone. The hydraulic number of rooms in this complex structure found in Shamkir – is a per- structure has a lancet niche with a was more than 10. The main structure fect medieval hydraulic installation. height of 1.95 meters and a depth of of the complex is divided into rooms The underground hydraulic installa- 80 cm. Ceramic pipes – tungs – have of various sizes with partition walls. tion reminiscent of an ovdan built of been mounted for ventilation on the The partition between rooms No 8 fi red square bricks on a lime solution eastern wall of the installation. A kup- and 9 stands out for artistic decora- pool was built in the fl oor, and its tions made of patterned brickwork. mouth was made of fi red brick and The decoration is made from small had an eight-pointed shape. Water bricks in the form of a rectangle, came from a source with the help of triangle, trapezoid, rhombus, etc. In ceramic water pipes - tungs. some rooms of the complex, remains The city operated an extensive of a brick fl oor of diff erent levels were sewer system. The remains of an en- found. In the southern part of the gineering unit for sanitary purposes excavation, remains of a water pipe were found in the shahristan and in made of clay pipes (tungs) directed the citadel. In the lower tier of exca- into this complex from the south vation V, archaeological excavation were found. revealed the remains of urban sew- The initial results of the archae- age facilities. It was built from river ological survey of this complex cobbles and white stones - “zayam- indicate the existence of highly dashi”. It was found that the sewer decorated multi-room monumental line was directed from west to east buildings in the central part of the and passed through the city gates. shahristan. In the outer wall of the city, it has

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 41 11/23/12 10:04 PM Our history Topographic layout of Shamkir

an arched shape and is lined with The archaeological excavations a complex lattice, which was quite fi red bricks. revealed interesting patterns of ar- characteristic of Albanian culture Remains of a 12th century sewer chitectural decor - fi ve-pointed fac- from the 10th century. The Shamkir line were identifi ed and investigated ing brick, samples of tiles, plaster tiles fi nds are early samples confi rming in the north-eastern sector of the with geometric, fl oral and epigraphic the use of this decor. Note that simi- shahristan, in excavation VI, which, ornaments. Bricks with handprints lar decor is found in the art of Hun- in all probability, was connected to also deserve attention. gary and in the monuments of the the urban sewer installation found in Imported items, weights, espe- 11th century. It is no coincidence, for a Excavation V. Sewage residues were cially copper, silver and gold coins people called “Siyavurdia”, the ances- studied in the space of 18.3 meters. discovered in the ancient settlement tors of the Hungarians in the 8th-9th The branched sewer device found of Shamkir make it possible to imag- centuries, lived on the Ganja-Gazakh at the citadel belongs to the 9th-10th ine the nature, amount and direction plain and was Christian. In the 8th centuries. of trade. century, they revolted against the Archaeological finds include Epigraphic finds are few. The Caliphate and destroyed the town tools, weapons, simple and glazed inscription in Arabic carved on the of Shamkir. ceramics, metal items, fragments plaster surface reads: “... power be- The ancient settlement is gradu- of glass vessels, pieces of window longs to Allah.” ally revealing its secrets and giving glass, items of jewelry and coins. Pot- Among the fi nds there are also valuable information about the past tery dominates. Seljuk earthenware fragments of khachdashes. They de- centuries of Shamkir. But there are products such as “Minai” stand out for pict the Albanian cross. The edge of still many unsolved mysteries in the their high artistic value. these khachdashes is decorated with depths of this monument.

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Heritage_4_(11)_2012_last.indd 42 11/23/12 10:04 PM Excavation site

References:

1. Yaqut al-Hamawi. Mujamal-Bul- dan (Information about Azer- baijan). Translated from Arabic by Z.M.Bunyadov and P.K.Zhuze. , 1983. 2. Al-Istahri. Book of Ways and King- doms. Translated from Arabic by N.A.Karaulov. / / SMOMPK, no. XIX, , 1901. 3. Orthodox Palestinian Collection, Vol. VII. 1889 4. Avalov E. On the recreation of the urban planning structure of medieval Shamkir. / / News of the Academy of Sciences of the Azer- baijan SSR, Ser. LYAI, 1980, №, 4 5. Baladzori. Book of the conquest of countries. Translated from Ara- bic by P.K.Zhuze. Baku, 1927

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