Kura–Araxes culture

The Kura-Araxes culture was a Chalcolithic culture that flourished in Caucasia and eastern Anatolia from 4000 B.C. to 2200 B.C. Their name comes from the Kura and Araxes river valleys in which they developed.

The Kura-Araxes used both stone and metal to make tools. They were able to cold-forge unalloyed copper, but did not engage in smelting and did not use bronze. They built mud-brick houses, originally round but later developing into a square design. Their economy was based on farming and raising livestock. They grew grain and various orchard crops, and are known to have used implements to make flour. They raised cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, and horses.

The Kura-Araxes are best known for a distinctive variety of hand-made pottery. This pottery was painted black and red, using geometric designs for ornamentation. It has been found as far south as Syria and Palestine, and as far north as Dagestan and Chechnya, suggesting that the Kura-Araxes spread far from their original homes.