In the spring of 2016, Azerbaijan undertook a military campaign to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh. Although the estimated number of casualties, as well as the land taken by Azerbaijan differs per source,...Show moreIn the spring of 2016, Azerbaijan undertook a military campaign to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh. Although the estimated number of casualties, as well as the land taken by Azerbaijan differs per source, it is agreed that it is the most violent clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the 1994 ceasefire agreement was reached. This thesis will argue what the worsening economy of Azerbaijan and the shifts within its domestic political situation have moved Azerbaijan towards this escalation of the conflict. Using a state level of analysis, as well as an individual level of analysis, this thesis will analyse how the resource curse of Azerbaijan which backfired after the Oil Boom ended, combined with the increase in protests from the civilians, has led to the regime deciding to move to escalate its conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.Show less
The Kura Araxes represents an important albeit understudied cultural horizon dated to the Early Bronze Age, often defined as a single cultural group that originated in Transcaucasia and spread into...Show moreThe Kura Araxes represents an important albeit understudied cultural horizon dated to the Early Bronze Age, often defined as a single cultural group that originated in Transcaucasia and spread into the greater Near East. Many details about Kura Araxes society still remain much debated as most of the theories discussing the identity of the culture are based on the distribution of characteristic ceramics, which can mask the various levels of complexity. This study focuses on the mortuary evidence found in designated Kura Araxes cemeteries, which has the potential to highlight more cultural heterogeneity. Patterns within burial practices including burial construction types, location of cemeteries, inhumation practices, gender, rituals, grave goods, geographic dispersals and chronological transitions are examined. The divisions in mortuary traditions are interpreted as corresponding to separations in economic and ethnic identities based on mobile and sedentary lifestyle interactions, which undergo transformations throughout the Kura Araxes chronological phases.Show less
