Kura-Aras Lowlands of Azerbaijan surrounded by ridges of the Caucasian mountains, which are taking place on east coast of the Caspian Sea, is one of most ancient centers of world civilization. Neighborhood of various climatic zones, distribution of wild cereal cultures and possibilities of all hunting sorts provide for vital needs of the ancient people in all seasons of year. Ancient people have begun multiply and move in adjacent territories after acquisition of experience (skills) of agriculture and animal husbandry.
Climatic changes of last 2-3 millenniums have resulted to desertification of low zones at the both sides of the Caspian Sea. These territories ceased be used for active economic activities and have reached up to now by untouched traces of ancient life.
Gobustan State Heritage of petroglyphs (fig.) is a vivid example of above-stated. This rocky terrain has been as a temple, a cultural center over several thousands years. This rocky stone field on the slope of mesa Limestone Mountain has a microclimate and a natural trap for hunting. Ancient people used a soft stone as a paper and as a drawing easel.
Historical importance of these stone carvings was foreseen by centurion Lutsi Julius Maximus of Roman legion.
When him legion stopped here at the end of the first century, he has ordered to make an inscription on the large rock laying on roadside:
"Period of government of emperor Domician Cesar Augus Germanik, Lutsi Julius Maxim, centurion of XII blitz legion."
Amongst numerous petroglyphs the figures of boats call special attention. Some of them have an image of the shining Sun on their heads (fig. 2). Such figures find in Ural (fig.3), in Egypt (fig. 2) and in Sweden (fig. 3).
Ancient people believed that after decline in the west Sun is transported at night by a boat that could again ascends in east. Egypt's piramids texts provide sufficient information about daily travel of God of Sun (Ra) by the boat on the sky and in underground world of gloom.
The Sun has always occupied a central position in the life of early man. It caught the imagination because the Sun gave him warmth, light, life and acted as his clock. Because of this, early man made the Sun his god and goddess and worshipped it. Even today in modern times the Sun is worshipped in many countries and religions. Number of the temples dedicated to the Sun's God of had been built. Many of the great cities of ancient world were known as "The City of the Sun", such as Baalbec, Rhodes, and Heliopolis.
In Shamakhy region of Azerbaijan the country name "Daddy Sun» up to now has reached.
Ancient people watched of Sun's motion during large interval of time and determined simple laws of movement and cyclic moving of the sunrise and sunset sites. They keep the accounts of the day number in the period of cyclic moving from south to north and back and define a year day's number. For this purpose he used or natural reference points of the far mountains peaks, directions of two rocks and natural apertures - cracks in canyons etc., or built special structures, such as standing stones of Stonehenge and structure of the type of New Grand Ireland and et al. Recently all surviving up to now similar objects of the world are included into the list Astronomical Heritage Center of the World Heritage of UNESCO.
From this point of view some of the Gobustan's boat carvings deserve attention and need realizations of the detailed researches. Significant place among such of the Gobustan applicants, undoubtedly, takes the Stone ¹1 from lower terrace of Beyukdash Mountain (fig. 6).
Fig.6. Stone ¹1
Fig.7. Stone ¹1
The huge rock Stone ¹1 from the front reminds a ship lying on the starboard, taking direction to north.
In the strong earthquake the neighboring rock has fallen on the Stone ¹1 and split him. Therefore it has bent slightly on east side.
A niches are carved on both side of the Stone ¹1. The long (2.3 m) boat with crew of 36 daggers (
), passing to the short string of 9 short strokes (|) on the bent neck and image of sun on the nose (fig.8) was engraved on the back wall of east niche. The smooth surface of the back wall lays on the central meridian. A notching (marker) is cut on the upper edge of the niche ceiling.
Fig.8.
Presence of the notching, 23 degree heading flight of the sun boat figure, its coincidence with the morning shadow of ceiling edge testifies to astronomical properties of Stone ¹1.
Almost all rock carvings of Gobustan and Apsheron peninsula at attentive survey are found out with the image of boats with the sun on the nose and the cross onboard. In the ancient world the mark of a cross was is familiar the sun or sunworshipping. In some languages, for example, in the Azerbaijan language the word "day" also is a synonym of the sun. Therefore quantitie of crosses could designate quantity of days.
On the other hand worth cross could be to designate the hands, stretched in the party, with ten fingers. Such hieroglyph in ancient China was used for figure ten.
Therefore, it is possible to assume, that 36 crosses onboard designated approximate quantity (amount) of days in one year: 36õ10 = 360. It is possible in quality íåäîñòîþùèõ of five days to offer difficultly ðàçëè÷àåìûé a mark on a tail.
A number of strokes on a neck can play a role of the upper register for recording number. The year can consist of nine forty daytime month: 9Õ40 = 360. The forty-day time unit is one of widely distributed time units. In Azerbaijan for measurement of duration of the winter of times is used a chilla (40 days) and small chilla (20 days) in recent times.
Probably 9 or 8 strokes designate quantities of zodiac, which the ancient astronomers used.
Fig.9.
The quantifying of days and of the nine forty day time months in an one year was the most significant achievement of Goubustanian's practical astronomy and mathematics. Therefore they immortalized the own achievement on a stone.
The presence of an artificial hanging indent at edge of the niche's ceiling testifies that the Stone ¹1 can be a gnomon type calendar. For the proof it is required to fulfil some measurements.
So speak that people of the adjacent territory visits Gobustan's stones per days of the Newrooz (New year, in Persian) holiday up to middle of the last century. Such visiting maybe one of the forms of reverence of spirits of ancestors however such visiting can be explained also to those in ancient times the people went to Gobustan to learn about approach Newrooz holiday. Newrooz is the main holiday of sun worshipping peoples. Many peoples per day of the spring equinox celebrate this holiday till now.
Measurement of an azimuth of western niche and the planes of the stone 1à give the angle 82 degree. The sunrise site has such azimuth per days of summer solstice.
The azimuth of the morning sun per winter solistice days (122 degrees) coincides by the direction 'boat's sun" - "notching".
On the inclined skirts of the niche at attentive survey can to see the early figures of small boats sailing from "Sky Boat" to the sea direction. The figure of the bull engraved above these figures opposite to shining Sun. The contour remined of Twins constellation engraved on the figure of bull in recent times. Two figures of Aries engraved under the legs of Bull. One of this is supplemented here recently.
The first editing of the boats composition by addition of figures of Bull and Aries is possible connected by further enrichment of the mythology of ancient Gobustanians.
The sacred Bull and the sacred Aries have an important rank in religion of ancient Egypt also.
However these editing probably has the astronomical subject.
Whether are these figures continuation of the astronomical theme says as zodiac constellations of the spring equinox for the last seven thousand periods?
As a result of precession for this period the point of the spring equinox has moved from constellation of Bull (5000 years back) and then in constellation Aries (3000 years back).
Let's remind that now point of the spring equinox has passed in constellation of Fish, though for hit the mark of Aries g is used.
If actually during of the 5000 year period the Gobustan's people used as a calendar the Stone 1, then they could notice such change and serially to mark to constellation of the equinox.
Whether the early man society could have such durable memory?
The following fact deserving attention is the angle of an inclination of the niche or of the " Sky boats" body to the horizontal plane of the Stone ¹ 1. This angle is approximately equal 23 degree, what is close to angle of the ecliptic declination 23 degree 27 minute?!
Though it can look fantastic, but the ancient man could define this angle comparing midday height of the sun in the summer (or winter) and spring (or autumn) in real form.
To the most fantastic conclusions results comparison of the Gobustan boats with Ancient Egyptian boats and symbols of the sun worshipping: the boat of Sun from the Stone 1 and from the Ancient Egypt have two hanging downwards lines. Horus eye (Wadjet, Udjat) also have two hangings downward. Wadjet was a solar deity and this symbol began as her eye, as an all seeing eye.
The English archaeologist Sir William Flinders Peltries noted that the hieroglyph "Bakhay" is used in the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" which dates back to the 2-th millennium BC. There the word is thought to refer to the location where the city of Baku stands today and has been interpreted to mean "the mountain of Bakhou of the rising Sun". Let's remind that Baku locate at distance of 54 km far from Gobustan.
