Rock art relationships between central Asia and Europe : The role of Gobustan (Azerbaijan)

Within a continuously changing scenario of knowledge about prehistoric and late prehistoric art, the contact area between Asia and Europe is crucial in understanding the development of the graphic symbolism of ancient cultures. Consequently, the Gobustan, Azerbaijan open-air rock art site is a key to interpreting the emergence of symbolism, its dispersal and the social dynamics beyond it. The Azerbaijan region preserves one of the richest open-air rock art sites in Eurasia. It is at the easternmost end of the Greater Caucasus range, along the western bank of the Caspian Sea, whose Quaternary level changes profoundly shaped local landforms, and heavily conditioned human settlement patterns. Its unique geostrategic position nurtured a cultural crossroads between Europe, Central Asia, and the Near East, influencing the region’s artistic traditions. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2007), Gobustan engravings possess a universal and exceptional value for their quality, quantity and density (more than 7,000 petroglyphs on over 1,000 rocks) and preservation. In addition to their chronological (from the Upper Palaeolithic to historical times), thematic and stylistic variety. Among the symbols, the main themes are animals (aurochs, horse, ibex, camel and deer), humans (feminine silhouette, warrior-hunter, rider), tamgas and boats. Engravings were carved in soft limestone boulders, shaping the figures with a thick and deep main outline, often overlapping previous figures, thus forming rich palimpsests. The long use of the same sites, rocks and symbols prompt a reflection on the meaning of the places, which was probably passed down from generation to generation, increasing the number of decorating motifs, reusing and/or modifying previous graphic units. Several engraved rocks are found inside shelters with occupation layers or burials. They can possibly help to understand the use, the social function of the rock art, through the analysis of the archaeological remains and the functional complementarity of the sites. A significant change in the main portrayed subjects and the new styles adopted for the more recent petroglyphs in Gobustan shift the focus towards new geographies, mainly the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula, unlike the Palaeolithic art that is reminiscent of western European evidence. It invites an analysis of any change in the relationship between socioeconomic organisation and symbolic heritage. In this way, the Gobustan rock art becomes a very powerful witness of lost cultures and demonstrates the symbolic and cognitive complexity of ancient human groups, suggesting cultural and economic changes, dispersals and connexions. Thus, Gobustan is a unique site, whose study can provide answers to important questions: How did the stylistic, thematic and technological development take place? How can we relate differences and similarities with other European and Asian rock art contexts? What kind of cultural, social or symbolic contexts does the rock art concentration in Gobustan explain? This paper presents the Gobustan rock art context and the new international research project.