The site of Kvatskhelebi is one of the best-preserved Early Bronze Age settlements in the Shida Kartli region, in central-north Georgia and is situated near the town of Urbnisi on the north bank of the Kura river, 31 m. above the level of the river, on a hill surrounded by deep ravines. The site was extensively excavated between 1954–1964 by an expedition of the Janashi State Museum of Georgia headed by N.A. Berdzenishvili. A report on the first seven seasons was published in Georgian (Dzhavakhishvili and Glonti 1962), but the 1962–1964 seasons were never published by the excavators. The settlement and burials of Kvatskhelebi is mentioned and discussed by several scholars.
The site presents a sequence of six Early Bronze Age phases divided into two main strata, testifying for the continuity and development of the well-preserved village. The extensive exposure and rather careful and well-controlled excavations, revealed the remains of forty-six houses, with large quantities of finds – pottery vessels, groundstone objects, flint, obsidian and metal implements, jewelry, faunal and botanical remains – many of which found in situ. The work and finds were well-documented, and field diaries, inventory registration, plans, and photographs are available. We also have the first report, and some studies and analyses conducted by the expedition and museum specialist that were never published.
This publication project, directed by Dr. Sarit Paz, will constitute a major addition to the slowly growing body of information on the Kura-Araxes culture in the southern Caucasus, and contribute to central issues and discussions in the research of the Kura-Araxes cultural complex, such as:
- The nature of village life in the Early Bronze Age of the southern Caucasus. The built environment of Kvatskhelebi is comprised of dozens of domestic structures, one possibly ritual structure, open and shared spaces, installations, and a few burials. The different features allow us to study, analyze and discuss various aspects of material culture and behavioral patterns of everyday life, from the household to the landscape level.
- The chronology, settlement processes, and development of Kura-Araxes culture in the Shida Kartli region. Radiocarbon dating and material culture analyses will enable to illustrate these processes in fine detail.
- The environmental conditions in the Shida Kartli region during the Early Bronze Age, and their effect on the life and economy of the inhabitants of Kvatskhelebi. This information will be retrieved from the analysis of material culture, botanic and faunal remains, and stable carbon isotopes ratio analysis that will provide data regarding the precipitation regime at that time.
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Wider questions on the nature of Kura-Araxes (Early Transcaucasian) culture. This is one of the most spatially extensive and temporally durable traditions of the Ancient Near East. By early 3rd millennium BCE, various elements of the Early Transcaucasian culture are found throughout the southern Caucasus, Anatolia, Iranian plateau and the Levant. The study of Kvatskhelebi, situated in the core area of this culture, will provide an important body of evidence for comparative inquiry. Its reincorporation will produce a boarder narrative engaging issues of migration, cultural and social interactions, identities, and the role of material culture in production and reproduction of society in the Early Transcaucasian homeland and diaspora.
The proposed publication of the Kura-Araxes village at Kvatskhelebi will comprise a final and comprehensive report of eleven seasons of excavations at the site. In addition to stratigraphy, architecture, pottery and other artifacts, it will include new studies and analyses of botanical and archaeozoological remains, new and refined sequences of radiocarbon dating, stable carbon isotopes ratio analysis, and ceramic technology and petrographic analysis. Altogether, it is expected to make a significant contribution to the archaeology of Early Transcaucasian culture, adding a considerable body of archaeological evidence and shedding some new light on the previously partially published material.