Men know that you
are mine by birth:
My nest, my refuge, and my hearth,
My mother, native land, dear earth!
Sever soul and body?? Death but can.
O Azerbaijan, my Azerbaijan! Samad Vurgun
Damjili cave is situated at the eastern bottom of the
Avey mountain near Dashsalahli village. Within 3 years
starting 1956 a fundamental expedition was held under the
supervision of archaeologist M.Huseynov. The expedition
discovered about 30 caves belonging to ancient settlers at
the foot of Avey mountain. Damjili cave is the biggest and
most important one of the Stone Age settlements found there.
It is in semicircular shape with overall area of 17 x 27 m.
During the excavations various kinds of stone tools made
by primitive men and the remains of half-burned bones of
hunting animals were found in Damjili cave. The stone tools
found here date from the Middle Paleolith - Mousterian
period (70-35 thousand years ago), Upper Paleolith and
Neolith. This in turn indicates that there had been a stable
human settlement in the cave for a few milleniums.