Binagadi asphalt lake
Tar pits preserving Quaternary fauna near Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Binagadi asphalt lake, also known as the Binagadi tar pits, is a cluster of tar pits near Binəqədi, Azerbaijan. Asphaltum or tar has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years, often covered with dust, leaves, or water. Over many centuries, animals trapped in the tar were preserved as bones, creating an ancient flora and fauna deposit protected by the State as a monument of nature of special significance pursuant to a decree of the Government of Azerbaijan Republic.
- location
- Near Binəqədi, Azerbaijan, 7 km north of Baku
- area
- Approximately 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres)
- elevation
- 54–57 metres (177–187 ft) above present sea level
- protected_since
- March 16, 1982 (Decree No. 167)
- key_researcher
- Professor Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachev (1930s–1940s)
- known_for
- Quaternary animal fossils, suggested richer than La Brea Tar Pits
Lore & Background
The Binagadi asphalt lake is located on the crest of a hill 0.5 km southeast of the settlement of Binagady, and 7 km north of Baku. The bone-bearing area sits on a hilltop near the Kyrrar hill, 48 metres above the level of Lake Boyukshor. An ancient mud volcano (Kichik-Dag) lies north of the fossiliferous area, with saline lakes and depressions surrounding it. The tar has seeped up for tens of thousands of years, trapping and preserving animals as bones.
Reader's Guide
In the 1930s, paleontological excavations and scientific research were conducted by Professor Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachev. Excavations continued until 1941 with the participation of Kasabova and Sultanov, and resumed in 1946 under the supervision of Burchak-Abramovich. The Binagadi fauna and flora deposit has been suggested to be richer by number of Quaternary animal fossils than the Californian La Brea Tar Pits. The deposit is important in studying the paleobiology of the entire Caucasus, Middle East, and the European part of NIS countries. The site was protected by the State as a monument of nature of special significance pursuant to Decree No. 167 of March 16, 1982.
Did You Know?
- The Binagadi asphalt lake is a cluster of tar pits near Binəqədi, Azerbaijan.
- The bone-bearing area comprises approximately 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres).
- Excavations were conducted by Professor Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachev in the 1930s.
- The deposit has been suggested to be richer by number of Quaternary animal fossils than the Californian La Brea Tar Pits.
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