Ceramic Braziers Found at the Bronze Age Monuments of Azerbaijan

During the excavations of the Bronze Age archaeological sites in Azerbaijan, clay braziers were found among the artifacts revealed in the residential areas and, very rarely, in the grave monuments. Since clay braziers were household utensils used for a long time, they are often found broken. Unlike other pottery materials, clay braziers mainly in grey, brown, or red colors, contain a larger amount of coarse sand or crushed fine-grained stones. Ceramic braziers, known in foreign literature as andirons, entered the kitchens and households of ancient Azerbaijani tribes as early as the Chalcolithic period and became more widespread in various forms during the Early Bronze Age. In subsequent stages of historical development, clay braziers were used even more widely. Round braziers were characteristic of the earliest periods, while in later periods, they evolved in shape, becoming more oval, cymboid or rectangular. Rectangular or oval holes in the base of the clay braziers were designed to facilitate cleaning of ash and coal accumulated in the brazier. Some of the clay braziers were coated with a special clay solution and then combed. Various tools were applied in connection with a stove in the domestic life of the Bronze Age residential sites throughout the Caucasus region, including pail and horseshoe-shaped stove tools as well as clay braziers. The article identifies the shapes and types of clay braziers, which were among the most common types of stove utensils in the Bronze Age. The household purpose and the closest analogues of the ceramic braziers found in Bronze Age Azerbaijan sites are also dicsussed.