Images circulating on social media about the neglected state of the 8,000-year-old Goytepe archaeological monument in Tovuz district have caused widespread discussions.
Anar Aghalarzade, leading researcher at the Institute of Archeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of ANAS, Doctor of Philosophy in History, Associate Professor, spoke to Modern.az about the issue.
According to the scholar, although the situation observed in Goytepe is regrettable, it is not possible to protect all archaeological monuments in the open air for a long time:
"There are monuments that cannot be protected in the open air. Especially if the building material is raw brick, it is exposed to natural erosion over time and collapses."
Anar Aghalarzade believes that the main responsibility in this matter falls not on the Ministry of Culture, but on the archaeologists conducting the excavations:
"When an archaeologist starts an excavation, he should think whether there will be an opportunity to protect this monument after me or not. If there is no such opportunity, it is not right to excavate the entire area."
According to him, in many countries of the world, projects requiring millions of funds are implemented to protect open-air archaeological parks, and these investments are later recovered through tourism. In Azerbaijan, however, such opportunities have not yet been formed.
"If the area is one thousand square meters, there is no need to excavate all of it. Approximately 150-200 square meters should have been studied scientifically, and then covered again and protected."
The historian also commented on the accusations made on social networks. He said that it is not right to blame the Ministry of Culture for the current state of Goytepe:
"Ministry employees conduct monitoring at the monuments. The Ministry cannot keep armed guards next to every monument."
According to Anar Aghalarzade, the attitude of society towards historical heritage and, in some cases, economic interests also play a serious role in the destruction of a number of historical monuments in Azerbaijan.
