Emergence of Weaving and Early Human Activities of South-West Georgia

(According to newest Studies)

Abstract

South-Western Georgia is home to numerous stone-age sites that provide insights into the rich history of human occupation. This paper focuses on a series of open-air sites located in Kintrishi Gorge and dated to the Early Holocene. These sites are of special interest as they offer a glimpse into the subsistence and economy of the last huntergatherer communities who occupied the region prior to the emergence of agriculture and the establishment of the earliest permanent villages.

The Kobuleti and Khutsubani sites were partially investigated by S. Gogitidze in the 1970s and 1980s. The authors resumed the research in 2019 and continue it until today. Kobuleti is a complex site. Four building horizons have been identified. The oldest Kobuleti horizon is dated to the late 10^th-early 9^th millenium BC, and the latest horizon dates back to the late 8^th-early 7^th centuries BC. Four cultural layers have been identified at the Khutsubani site. Only the lower layer has been radiocarbon dated to the late 10^th-early 9^th millennium BC. The lower strata at both Kobuleti and Khutsubani exhibit advanced traditions of house building.

Samples for spore pollen analysis were taken during the excavation of two sites. The laboratory work was carried out by specialists from the Georgian National Museum. The analysis showed that 11,000 years ago there was a mild, warm climate in the Kintrishi Gorge. The thermophilic plant spores were found in palynological samples. Flax and cannabis fibers were found in palynological samples. This is evidence of the use of weaving in the manufacture of clothing.

Thus, materials from the Kobuleti and Khutsubani sites provide an illustrative example of the classic ‘broad spectrum revolution’ that occurred on the eve of the transition to the Neolithic way of life.