Azykh cave ( Azerbaijani: Azıx mağarası) is located in the most picturesque corner of Karabakh, in the Guruchay River Valley. The culture formed here was called the Guruchay culture. From 1960, the Paleolithic archaeological expedition headed by Mammadali Hüseynov began excavations in the Azykh cave. Researches started in Azykh cave in 1960 were continued until 1985 in two stages. The archaeological excavations carried out in the first stage covered the years 1960-1973. At this stage, during the archaeological excavations, 6 cultural layers were recorded in the sediments of the Azykh Paleolithic site. During the archaeological excavations conducted in layers I and II of the camp, remains of material culture from the Middle Ages, Bronze and Eneolithic periods were found. In June 1968 the Paleolithic archaeological expedition under the leadership of M.M.Hüseynov discovered an ancient man’s mandible along with stoneware and animal bones in the III layer of the V layer of the Azykh site. The jaw bone is 350 – 400 thousand years old. The ancient man to whom the jaw bone belongs is called “Azykhantrop” (Azykh man). In addition to the jaw bone, tools, fauna and hearth remains were discovered in Azykh Cave. The researches showed that the first things made by the inhabitants of Azykh consisted of rough hoes, digging and stabbing tools made from various stone fragments.
