In a massive burial mound in the plains of western Azerbaijan, archaeologists discovered the remains of an ancient, towering warrior still clutching a four-pronged spearhead in his hand.
The man’s skeleton measures over six feet six inches (two meters) in height and dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, approximately 3,800 years ago. Scientists believe he may have been a prominent military leader, due to the way in which he was laid to rest. The discovery offers a glimpse into the social and religious beliefs and rituals of Bronze Age societies, according to a translated statement from the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture.
The burial mound was found near the Ceyranchol plain, in an area locally known as Yovsanlidere, near Azerbaijan’s western border. Measuring more than 90 feet (28 meters) in diameter and over 6.6 feet (2 meters) in height, the mound contained 14 one-ton limestone slabs face-to-face just beneath its surface, along with a stone idol shaped like a bull and a circular limestone seal.
Known locally as kurgans, burial mounds like this one were ceremonial structures often built by nomadic cultures, offering valuable insights into ancient societies’ rituals and beliefs about the afterlife.
At the center of the mound was a chamber, 6 feet (2 meters) wide and 20 feet (6 meters) long, divided into three sections. One section contained the human skeleton, another was filled with ceramic vessels, and a third was completely empty. The empty space may symbolize the “resting place” for the deceased’s spirit, according to the statement.
The four-pronged bronze spearhead is an especially rare find, not just in Azerbaijan but throughout the broader South Caucasus region. Alongside the spear, researchers uncovered a variety of other valuable items, including bronze ankle adornments, obsidian tools, paste beads, and inlaid ceramic pottery, suggesting the individual held significant prestige. Inside the ceramic vessels, they found the bones of cooked animals, believed to be provisions for the afterlife.
For the past five years, more than 2,000 academics and volunteers, both local and international, have conducted research on the Keshikchidagh reserve, an archaeological hotspot. Research on the Keshikchidagh site is ongoing, and plans for laboratory analyses—including carbon dating and isotope testing—are underway for the newly discovered burial mound, the researchers said in the statement.
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