Rock Art of the Ana Zaga Cave Shelter in the Archaeological Landscape of Gobustan, Azerbaijan

A new analysis of the Ana Zaga rock shelter, the largest in Gobustan, reveals that its petroglyphs reflect significant shifts in human settlement and cultural themes tied to changes in the Caspian Sea's sea level. Using advanced 3D modeling with Agisoft and 3D Studio Max, researchers identified stylistic features from various periods and provided radiocarbon dating for cultural layers, defining chronological stages in rock art evolution. The study concludes that the shelter became a primary habitat during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic due to rising sea levels, while the Bronze Age saw settlement expand to lower terraces as the sea receded. This work also assesses the extinct fauna depicted in the petroglyphs, linking landscape changes to thematic shifts in rock art.

Farajova, M. N. (2024). Rock Art of the Ana Zaga Cave Shelter in the Archaeological Landscape of Gobustan, Azerbaijan. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia, 51(4), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2023.51.4.045-054