Post-Paleolithic zoomorphic images in Gobustan Rock Art

This article considers the zoomorphic images in the rock art of Gobustan, located in the east of the Caucasus, on the west coast of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan. The zoomorphic images form an important component of Gobustan’s rock art. The results of previous related research are reviewed, including generalised, chronological, interpretative and stylistic approaches. Palaeontological data and faunal assemblages found during excavations in Gobustan have been used to assist in the identification of zoomorphic images. Stylistic characteristics overlap, and the results of archaeological excavations, stratigraphic relationships and analogical comparisons with rock carvings of the same period are considered in classifying the images. Zoomorphic rock art images played an important role in the cultures of ancient populations, reflecting habitats, hunting and pastoral agricultural practices and daily lives. From the Upper Paleolithic to the Neolithic, aurochs played an essential role in the belief systems of the inhabitants of Gobustan. From the Bronze Age onwards, goats were the principal animal depicted. Traces of ancient beliefs persist, and are found in the living culture and intangible heritage practices of local people today.