The mound of Mentesh Tepe, in the rolling lowlands of western Azerbaijan (Tovuz district), sits at a crossroads of the early Neolithic and Bronze Age worlds. Archaeological layers and radiocarbon determinations place occupation within the long span conventionally associated with the Shulaveri‑Shomutepe cultural horizon, a local Neolithic–Chalcolithic tradition that persisted and transformed into the early Bronze Age in the southern Caucasus. Architectural remains — circular mudbrick houses, hearths, and densely packed rubbish pits — evoke a settled, agrarian community whose material culture blends local traditions with influences from Anatolia and the Iranian plateau.
Material culture from Mentesh Tepe includes simple painted pottery, obsidian and flint tools, and early copper artifacts in later layers. These finds mirror broader Shulaveri‑Shomutepe assemblages known from prominent sites such as Shulaveri and Shomutepe, suggesting shared lifeways of crop cultivation, herding, and household craft. Archaeological data indicate long-term continuity of local practices, yet also hint at episodic contacts with neighboring highland and lowland groups.
Genetic results for this group are extremely limited (n=3) and must be treated as preliminary. Nonetheless, the presence of Y‑DNA J in two individuals aligns with wider patterns across the Caucasus where J lineages appear in multiple time depths. Limited evidence suggests these people belonged to a network of interconnected communities rather than an isolated pocket: the archaeological and genetic signals together paint a picture of rooted local life with external threads of contact and exchange.
