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The area boasts of 4000 carvings dating to the early Bronze Age. An early human
settlement with round-saw type masonry dating back to the IV-III millennia B.C.
(
early Bronze Age) is of a very high significance from the standpoint of dating of local
rock carvings. Remnants of human habitation in this highland area were discovered
in 1976 when ruins of a circular stone construction with the diameter above 20 meters
were found at the left bank of the Ter-ter river. The construction’s inner walls were
laid with river stone and massive pieces of rock. The walls were up to 2 meters deep.
Both the floor and the ceiling were plastered with clay mixed with hay. Ruins of
several circular-shaped stone masonry works with the diameter not exceeding 4 meters
were found around.
Round-shaped constructions of this type (i.e. constructions with circular plan) were
quite typical of the Bronze Age in the areas like the South Caucasus or the Middle
East. Similar structures (although of lesser dimensions than in Kalbajar) were used as
residential premises. It may be assumed that back in the early Bronze Age period, the
ruins of constructions found at the bank of the Ter-ter river could be used as dwellings
of a mighty tribe. Fragments of simple and glazed vessels with typical semi-circular
handles together with stone tools and hunting devices were found nearby. The tools
included primitive millstones, knife plates and notched mattocks. The hunting tools
comprised obsidian arrowheads. Production of clay utensils and pottery invariably
triggered further development of agriculture and cattle-breeding. Emergence of dairy
production in this period resulted in the appearance of churn and sieve.
The area features some truly unique rock carvings depicting day-to-day life of the
early Bronze Age tribes engaged in agriculture and cattle-breeding. The presence of a
cultural layer, rock carvings and permanent protected settlements was an outcome of
the adaptation to the life in highland areas prolific with grassland.
Petroglyphs found at the Kalbajar Highland depict hunting scenes with primeval
archers pursuing Caucasian goats. Some agricultural scenery such as oxen yoked with
plough, harvesting and processing of grain crops, anthropomorphous figures with
scythe, etc. may be found as well. Portrayals of leopards preying goats are of a