Traces of a lost ancient culture found in the mountains of Georgia

We are talking about the Javakheti Plateau, one of the least explored areas of the South Caucasus.

Details

The study is based on eight years of excavations in southern Georgia. Since 2017, archaeologists have identified about 168 monuments dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.

The finds include stone fortresses, settlements, large burial grounds and farm buildings. Prior to excavation, scientists used remote sensing and digital mapping to understand how ancient landscapes were organised and where traces of settlements might have been located.

One of the key sites was Bareleti Natsargora, a large hill where they found layers of ash and stone. According to the researchers, people returned there again and again over the millennia, probably rebuilding houses or fortifications. This suggests that the site had special significance.

A bronze disc with solar ornamentation was also found there. Similar objects have already been found in southern Georgia, and they are often associated with funerary rites.

At another monument, in the fortress of Megreki, archaeologists found painted clay plates. They could have been used in rituals or served as a sign of the family's high status.

Based on the totality of the finds, the researchers concluded that this mountainous region was not an isolated corner, but a space of constant movement, exchange and symbolic culture.

Why it matters

The find changes the way we look at the ancient history of the South Caucasus.

It shows that the mountainous regions of southern Georgia were inhabited long and steadily, and that local communities did not just survive in harsh conditions, but built fortifications, created symbolic objects and probably maintained links with neighbouring territories.

In other words, we are not talking about a periphery, but a full-fledged cultural landscape with its own history and traditions.

Background

The Javakheti Plateau has long been one of the least studied regions of the South Caucasus. This is why the new findings are particularly important: they help fill in the gaps in the history of the region between the Bronze Age and later eras.

The next stage of the project will be a radiocarbon analysis, which should determine more precisely when the found settlements and fortifications were used.

Source

The study is published in the journal Antiquity (2026). It is based on the Samtskhe-Javakheti archaeological project in southern Georgia.