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Archeological excavations finished in mass grave site in Guba

05 September 2008 13:13 (UTC +04:00)

â€œYou know that two wells and two canals were found during the archeological excavations. 211 skulls were found in the canals. We came to the conclusion that there were approximately 300 people in the first well. It proves that there were over 400 bodies in the grave site. This is an approximate number. It should be taken into account that landslides occurred in that territory, construction works marred a part of the skeletons. Basing on this, we can say that there were over 600 bodies in the grave site. But basing on the fact we have we can say their number is over 400,â€ he said.

Gahraman Agayev said they had not come across bullet signs while carrying out research.
â€œIt shows that all of these people were killed by blunt tools, cruelly. People had been strangled in the nearby bath-house and their bodies were thrown into the wells. The depth of the first well is 4.2m, diameter is 5m. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the landslide only 2m-depth and 4.75m-diameter of the well was preserved. We could hardly preserve it after the landslide. While clearing the second well we came to the conclusion that it was impossible to preserve it. The depth of the well is 2m, diameter is 2.25m,â€ he said.

The archeologist said they had not come across ethnographic findings during excavations.
â€œNo buttons, or jewelries were found during excavations. Only a copper locket was found near a child aged 5-6 in the second well. It is only ethnographic discovery in the grave. It shows that repulsive Armenians undressed the people, robbed their attires and then killed them. It happened in the first decade of May, 1918. Indeed the massacre lasted for nine days and Armenians left the area on May 10 by the Shaumyanâ€™s orderâ€. Gahraman Agayev said member of the Peopleâ€™s Council of that period Norilsky described those events in his memories. â€œNorilsky wrote that he never witnessed such cruelly massacres. He said more than 2000 people were killed at their homes only in Guba. The 2000-member group arrived in Guba consisted of only Armenians, only 5-6 Russians were in the group. Norilsky said the Armenians arrived in Guba with only aim to kill Muslims. Shaumyan wrote them in his letter that â€œyour main task is not to establish Soviet Power, but to kill all Muslims thereâ€. These are historical materialsâ€.
Gahraman Agayev said the graves located in 514 square meters area. Researches are held in 494 square meters of it. â€œAfter the parliament speaker Ogtay Asadovâ€™s visit the site, we decided not to touch certain area to show it to the international experts that they can see all things with their own eyes. We save 20 square meters south-west of the area for themâ€.

The mass grave will be handed over to the local Executive Power on Friday and the museum will be established on the site. The researcher said the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences prepared proposals for museum. He said it would be better if glass museum was established there. â€œIt needs to establish glass museum for displaying of bones taken from the graves, which has to be surrounded with glasses and a grand monument should be installed thereâ€.