Results of the 2019 Excavations Conducted by the Paravani Archaeological Expedition

Abstract

This article provides a detailed account of the archaeological excavations carried out in 2019 in the area of Lake Paravani, near the village of Akhal Khulgumo. The decision to organize the expedition in this area was made after numerous archaeological sites were identified in 2018 through remote sensing surveys.

Among the identified sites, a kurgan was selected, to which what appeared to be a systematically arranged stone-built (ritual) road was leading. This ritual road became particularly visible through aerial photography. The study of this kurgan was prioritized because ritual roads associated with kurgans had previously been known only from Dmanisi and from the Tsalka region. In the vicinity of Lake Paravani, this is the first recorded case of a kurgan with a ritual road.

During the current archaeological season, it was possible to partially investigate the aforementioned kurgan. In addition, the expedition carried out rescue archaeology work in the village of Khulgumo, where one test trench was opened in cultivated land belonging to a local resident, resulting in the collection of medieval-period materials.

It was also possible, as planned in the project proposal, to open two test trenches at a settlement site identified through surveys conducted in the area of Mount Shaori.

The present article discusses the 2019 results of all the above-mentioned activities.