Initial excavations were conducted by The Tava Tepe Archaeological Project led by CAMNES (Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies), the University of Catania, and ANAS (Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences) in 2021.[3] The Tava Tepe Archaeological Project is part of the broader Ganja Region Kurgan Archaeological Project (GaRKAP).[4][5] The scientific coordination of both initiatives is jointly led by Nicola Laneri from CAMNES and Bakhtiyar Jalilov from ANAS.[6]
The aim of these investigations was to uncover archaeological evidence from Phase I (Bronze Age) and Phase II (Iron Age).
In July 2024, a team of archaeologists uncovered a 3,500-year-old ritual table, accompanied by ceramic tableware still in place. According to researchers, Tava Tepe features a concentric-circle earthen structure with a central kitchen area, hearth installations, and evidence of communal feasting which is suggesting its use as a ceremonial resting place for nomadic tribes traveling between the Kura River basin and the Caucasus Mountains.[2][7][8]
Burn marks, together with scattered fragments of black burnished ceramic bowls and glasses, point to on-site cooking activities, most likely within ceramic vessels. The researchers noted that the structure once had a monumental entrance framed by wooden columns and covered by a thatched roof, which may have extended over the entire area; numerous post holes arranged in a circle suggest the structure spanned about 15 meters in diameter. Around the outer edge of this circular layout, an accumulation of animal bones including those from cattle, sheep, and pigs was uncovered, alongside broken pottery.[9][10]