Georgia is a country of ancient history and culture. Many antique towns can be found here, some are still to be excavated. Such fascinating sites
make Georgia an ideal place for archaeological tours.
The entire history of Georgia is determined by its geographic location, lying as it does between the East and the West. As a crossroads ofancient Eurasian cultures on the Northern boundaries of Near Eastern civilisations, Georgia boasts sites of worldwide importance coveringevery single archaeological period.
Several 1.7 million year-old skulls of Homo Erectus from South Georgia have become the most sensational discovery of our times. These skulls were found 
while excavating the mediaeval city of Dmanisi. They are the oldest evidence of hominids (our common ancestors) on the Eurasian continent.
South Georgia’s early agricultural sites (7th-5th mil. BC) are closely related to the ones in Near East, which no doubt have a connection to the beginning of the so-called ‘Neolithic Revolution’ in the Old World. The period is extremely interesting due to the discovery of domesticated grape pips in Southern Georgia dating from 6th millennium BC. This discovery along with linguistic evidence has enabled scholars to state that Georgia is the cradle of viticulture and winemaking.
Among the cultures of the 4th-3rd millennia BC, the Mtkvari-Araxes culture deserves p
articular attention. The earliest sites of this culture from the Chalcolithic period come from the central and southern regions of Georgia, whereas in the subsequent Early Bronze Age it spread not only in the Caucasus but also in Eastern Anatolia (Turkey) and further south to Syria and Palestine.
The mid-third millennium in East and South Georgia is marked by the appearance of big burial mounds, the so-called kurgans, showing the already well-established social differentiation in the society. This tradition was continued in Trialeti culture (South Georgia) from the late 3rd until the mid-2nd millennium BC. The ‘royal kurgans’ of this culture yielded the richest grave goods. The gold objects found in such graves demonstrate intricate granulation technique. Trialeti culture shows close ties with the highly-developed cultures of the ancient world, particularly with the Aegean, which is well documented by both archaeological data and religious beliefs. In addition, the megalithic fortres
ses of the highland Trialeti recall the Mycenaean ones. The Bronze Age relationships between Greece and Georgia were apparently responsible for the emergence of the myth of the Argonauts, who came to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. The entire ancient history of Georgia is marked by highly developed metallurgy. The earliest bronze objects were produced here as early as 4000 BC. By around the mid-2nd millennium BC, metal-smiths of East Georgia displayed exceptional skills in bronze metallurgy. Among Eurasian artisans of that period, only metal-smiths of Georgia evolved the most complicated and now lost technique of wax openwork casting to produce hollow bronze objects, including small statuettes and handles of swords and daggers. The appearance of iron and even st
eel weapons is also associated with the same period. However, iron did not become common in the area until around 1200 BC.
Two states flourished in the Classical Period in Georgia: Egrisi, or Colchis in the west (6th-1st centuries BC) and Kartli, or Iberia in the east (3rd century BC – 3rd century AD). Greek, Achaemenid Persian and Roman influences are clearly reflected in art and governance. The spectacular remains of the residences of aristocracy from Vani in Colchis and Bagineti, next to Mtskheta (the ancient capital of Iberia) speak of the wealth and prosperity of the two states.
