A Group of Painted Vessels from the II Kultepe Settlement

Abstract

Painted pottery is characteristic of the Bronze Age culture of Nakhchivan. The potters of Nakhchivan—particularly those of II Kültepe — distinguished themselves from their contemporaries in other regions of the Bronze Age by producing not only simple vessels for everyday and economic use but also finely crafted painted pottery that attracted artistic attention. The patterns and primitive drawings depicted on these vessels are genuine works of art and provide valuable scientific insights into the daily life, economic activities, religious ideology, as well as the fauna and flora of ancient peoples. According to researchers, Nakhchivan’s close socio-economic and cultural ties with the Near East, particularly with Urmia and Mesopotamia, created favorable conditions for the emergence of painted pottery.