CAVE No. 9
Period: Early Middle Ages
Inventory:
Location: Qatardagh Ridge
Keshikchidagh State Historical and Cultural Reserve
Width: 3.80 m
Length: 4.00 m
Height: 1.60 m
Area: 6 m²
Cave No. 9, investigated within the territory of the Keshikchidagh State Historical-Cultural Reserve located in the western region of Azerbaijan, is one of the significant archaeological monuments dating to the Early Middle Ages. This cave is an artificially created space, carved by human hands into the rocky terrain in accordance with the physical characteristics of the local bedrock. The plan of the cave resembles a trapezoid, indicating a deliberate and functionally-oriented design. Such an unusual layout may have been intended to maximize interior usability and comfort, and may also reflect symbolic or practical meanings found in ancient architectural traditions. From both an archaeological and architectural perspective, the cave was used as a residential space. Although relatively small in size, the interior is believed to have provided adequate conditions for performing essential domestic activities. The interior height of 1.60 meters suggests a sedentary lifestyle or habitation by a limited number of individuals, consistent with a living model adapted to the natural and geographical context. Initial observations of the cave’s walls and inner surfaces have revealed evidence of human activity—tool marks, flattened wall sections, and surface stratification. These traces indicate that the cave was purposefully adapted not merely as a temporary shelter but as a long-term dwelling. As part of the Keshikchidagh cave complex, Cave No. 9 embodies both material and spiritual aspects of historical culture. Its use as a habitation site offers valuable insights into settlement patterns, lifestyles, and the socio-cultural behavior of early medieval communities. Alongside similar structures within the complex, this cave serves as a vital subject for comparative archaeological study.
