CHAPTER II
SCULPTURAL ARTS OF CAUCASIAN ALBANIA OF ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PERIOD
CHAPTER II SCULPTURAL ARTS OF CAUCASIAN ALBANIA OF ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PERIOD
Monumental sculptural art.
T
he subject of plastic art and monumental sculpture development in Azerbaijan in ancient period of history and early medieval period doubtless is of great interest in science. Archeological findings, studied last years and other samples of material culture of Azerbaijan let estimate that this kind of art goes back to antiquity. Archeological material and samples of material culture, compiled last years gives opportunity to declare that in Azerbaijan plastic art existed in most ancient time and developed in medieval period. (21.61) The archeologists, who found the main part of stone human statues suppose, that these statues are included in group of similar artifacts, widely spread in South of Russia, in Southern Siberia and in neighboring provinces in Central Asia. (56.3). The tradition of monumental stone statues creating in Azerbaijan is rooted in extreme antiquity. The earliest samples of such statues were discovered in Gobustan and in Apsheron (village Turkan). These statues are dated by Bronze era (III-II millennium B.C.) They were discovered
in places of barrow burials and in centre of some cromlechs. The order of those statues placing demonstrates their ceremonial character and their height ranges from 1, 5 m. to 2, 5 m. These statues are characterized by weak, indefinite working of forms and tend to stone column-shaped forms. The statues of such kind are met in Mugan and in lowland of Karabakh. The main part of such statues are in the same place, where were created thousand years ago. These stone statues are carved from ocher-white Apsheron sand-stone or from dark-grey Karabakh cobblestone and basalt. All these statues demonstrate us the individual creative manner of unknown sculptures and reflect their world outlook. It’s evident, these statues of Bronze age had ceremonial meaning and were connected with funeral rituals. After Bronze age the next rise of monumental sculptural art coincide with Iron age, to be more exact, with Scythian period of in history of Azerbaijan. (VIII-VII centuries B.C.). Settling of Scythian tribes in territory between Kura and Arax rivers in that epoch was marked by “father of history” Herodotus, who called this territory Scythia. The monuments and statues of that period are characterized by better working out of forms and details. In those statues concrete anthropolog-
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