Editing Azerbaijan (section)

===Antiquity===
{{further|Caucasian Albania}}
[[File:Ancient Azerbaijan 4.jpg|thumb|left|[[Petroglyph]]s in [[Gobustan National Park]] dating back to the [[10th millennium BC]] indicating a thriving culture]]
The earliest evidence of human settlement in the territory of Azerbaijan dates back to the late [[Stone Age]] and is related to the [[Guruchay culture]] of [[Azykh Cave]].<ref>{{cite web| last = Azakov| first = Siyavush| title = National report on institutional landscape and research policy Social Sciences and Humanities in Azerbaijan<!--| agency = Institute of Physics-->| publisher = [[Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences]]| url = http://www.globalsocialscience.org/uploads/c_GlobalSSH%20-%20Azerbaijan%20institutional%20report%20FINAL.pdf| access-date = 27 May 2007| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111116061819/http://www.globalsocialscience.org/uploads/c_GlobalSSH%20-%20Azerbaijan%20institutional%20report%20FINAL.pdf| archive-date = 16 November 2011}}</ref> Early settlements included the [[Scythia]]ns during the 9th century BC.<ref name="Library of Congress" /> Following the Scythians, Iranian [[Medes]] came to dominate the area to the south of the [[Aras (river)|Aras river]].<ref name="dictionary" /> The Medes forged a vast empire between 900 and 700&nbsp;BC, which was integrated into the [[Achaemenid Empire]] around 550&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Journey from Tehran to Chicago: My Life in Iran and the United States, and a Brief History of Iran|author=H. Dizadji |publisher=Trafford Publishing|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4269-2918-2|location=US|pages=105}}</ref> The area was conquered by the Achaemenids leading to the spread of [[Zoroastrianism]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chaumont|first=M. L.|chapter=Albania|title=Encyclopædia Iranica|year=1984|chapter-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/albania-iranian-aran-arm|access-date=15 January 2012|archive-date=26 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526212016/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/albania-iranian-aran-arm|url-status=live}}</ref>