Azerbaijan to conduct research in Azykh Cave in Karabakh

Azerbaijan has set up a working group to conduct research work in Azykh Cave.

According to the director-general of the Institute of Archeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Professor Abbas Seyidov, "the composition of the expedition has already been determined. Negotiations with international experts are in progress," Report informed on May 23.

He said that research work in Azykh cave will be conducted in 15 days after the relevant order is given, and added that the works will also be carried out in the Taghlar cave.

The Azykh and Taghlar caves are two prehistoric sites of the Khojavand region of the Republic of Azerbaijan bearing exceptional value as places of the dwelling of hominins since as early as 1,200,000 years ago and testimony of prehistoric fauna.

During the occupation of Azerbaijani territories between 1993 and 2020, Armenians illegally removed precious artefacts in gross violation of international conventions.

The archaeological excavations of the caves started in the early 1960s, allowed the discovery of a huge diversity of tools, animal fossils, and remains testifying to the importance the region of South Caucasus has played in the human migrations in prehistoric times, providing evidence of prehistoric beliefs of hominin species and early use of fireplaces.

Azykh Cave is a complex of six caves near the village of Azykh. It is located at an altitude of 1400 m above sea level on the left bank of the Guruchay River in the Khojavand region, 3 km northeast of the village of Tug and 14 km northwest of the city of Fuzuli.