28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

3500-year-old Ritual Table with All Its Ceramic Dishware Found in Azerbaijan

A joint team of Italian and Azerbaijani archaeologists has discovered a 3500-year-old ritual table with the ceramic tableware still in situ in the ancient settlement of “Tava-tepe”, a Late Bronze Age site, in the Caucasus region near the borders of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

A concentric circle earthen structure was discovered during the fourth excavation mission at Tava Tepe, which was overseen by Bakhtiyar Jalilov of the Baku Academy of Sciences and Professor Nicola Laneri of the University of Catania. This structure includes a central kitchen area and a ritual table, with ceramic utensils remaining in their original positions.

Between 1500 and 750 BC (the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age), nomadic populations traveling between the Kura River basin and the Caucasus Mountains most likely used this site as a resting place before reaching the passes that allowed them to cross the mountains and proceed westward.

During the month of excavations at Tava Tepe, the team discovered an extraordinary raw earth structure with concentric circles characterized, at the center, by a circular kitchen with eight installations.

The ritual table was discovered in Tava Tepe in the Agstafa region of western Azerbaijan. Photo: University of Catania
The ritual table was discovered in Tava Tepe in the Agstafa region of western Azerbaijan. Photo: University of Catania

The fire marks located at the base of the accommodations imply that food was cooked inside the various ceramic containers that were discovered strewn all over the place. These containers included bowls, typical black burnished ceramic vessels from that era, and long, flat pebbles that could have been used for food mixing.

In one corner of the kitchen, a thick layer of ash was found, associated with the use of embers, and clay tokens with fingerprints, which may have served as receipts for obtaining food rations.

The structure was characterized by a monumental entrance with wooden columns and a thatched roof, which likely covered the entire complex. Numerous post holes further emphasized the circularity of the structure, which had a diameter of approximately 15 meters. The exterior of the circular area was marked by a large number of animal bones (cattle, sheep, and pigs) and ceramic pottery deposited as rubbish.

The deposit probably represented the remains of meals consumed outside (perhaps while sitting on the wall/bench), part of a shared and ritual consumption of food among members of nomadic communities.

Ceramic tableware associated with the ritual table. Photo: University of Catania
Ceramic tableware associated with the ritual table. Photo: University of Catania

The presence of human figurines placed in votive pits, as well as the fact that the central drum and the entrance to the structure (where the kitchen was located) were later sealed with all of the dishware thanks to a thick layer of compacted yellow earth and the construction of a raw earth circle with a diameter of approximately two meters placed on top, filled with a thick layer of ash, all point to the place’s ceremonial nature.

Prof. Laneri explained: “The structure featured a monumental entrance with wooden columns and a thatched roof, likely covering the entire complex. Numerous post holes accentuating the circular design indicate that the structure had a diameter of approximately 15 meters. The deposit represented the remains of meals consumed outside, part of a shared and ritual consumption of meals among members of nomadic communities.”

Archaeologists plan to present additional findings on Tava Tepe at a festival in mid-July.

University of Catania

Cover Photo: University of Catania

Related Articles

Archaeologists may have uncovered a 13th-century castle in Shropshire

7 August 2021

7 August 2021

Archaeologists have been working on a mound of land in Wem, Shropshire, that belongs to Soulton Hall, Elizabethan mansion and...

Well-preserved Ming Dynasty tomb unearthed in China’s Shanxi Province

17 March 2024

17 March 2024

Archaeologists from the Shanxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology have unearthed a well-preserved tomb from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)...

4,400 Years Old Shaman Snake Staff Found in Finland

29 June 2021

29 June 2021

A very well-preserved 4,400-year-old Shaman Snake Staff made of wood has been found in Finland. The “Snake Staff” found is...

Collectors In The Prehistoric World Recycled Old Stone Tools To Preserve The Memory Of Their Ancestors

16 March 2022

16 March 2022

A first-of-its-kind study at Tel Aviv University asks what drove prehistoric humans to collect and recycle flint tools that had...

Ancient golden neck ring found in Denmark

24 April 2022

24 April 2022

A one-of-a-kind golden neck ring from the Germanic Iron Age (400-550 A.D.) has been discovered in a field not far...

Czech scientists make “Celtic beer” using analysis of pollen from burial site

22 September 2023

22 September 2023

Czech scientists, together with a small experimental brewer, have recreated the country’s first ‘Celtic Beer’ using laboratory analysis of pollen...

Unveiling the Secrets of the “Air-Dried Chaplain”: A Unique Mummification Method Discovered in Austria

4 May 2025

4 May 2025

Researchers investigating a remarkably well-preserved mummy discovered in the church crypt of St. Thomas am Blasenstein, a small village in...

3D printing technology was used for the restored relic restoration of an ancient palace in Liangzhu Archaeological Site

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Six rebuilt massive wooden pillars of an old palace have been exposed to the public for the first time at...

Serbian Archaeologists Unearth Roman Triumphal Arch Dedicated to Emperor Caracalla

24 January 2024

24 January 2024

Archaeologists in Serbia have unearthed an ancient Roman triumphal arch dating back to the third century at Viminacium, a Roman...

Montenegro’s Unique Church With Two Altars is Disappearing

11 December 2023

11 December 2023

In the Spich plain, where the modern town of Sutomore in Bar, Montenegro is located, there were churches that served...

148 Ancient Tombs Spanning 2,100 Years Unearthed in the Construction Area of the Zoo

18 August 2024

18 August 2024

An ancient burial site with 148 tombs,  spanning over 2,100 years, has been discovered on the construction site of the...

Delikkemer Aqueduct: A Roman Engineering Wonder Along the Lycian Way

17 May 2025

17 May 2025

Hidden among the lush forests of southwestern Turkey, the Delikkemer Aqueduct stands as a testament to ancient Roman ingenuity. Located...

Archeological park to be built at suburban Shanghai ancient ruins site in China

20 October 2021

20 October 2021

An archeological park will be built at the Qinglong Town ruins site of Baihe in Qingpu District as part of...

The very unknown ancient city of the Mediterranean; Syedra

3 July 2022

3 July 2022

Known as Turkey’s holiday paradise, the Antalya region is a treasure when it comes to ancient cities. Close to the...

Hebrew University Archaeologists have Unveiled 7,000-year-old Seal İmpressions

10 June 2021

10 June 2021

Israeli archaeologists unveiled a 7,000-year-old clay seal impression used for commerce and protection of property, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem...