Dmanisi
Georgia · Kvemo Kartli
In brief
The Paleolithic layers beneath the medieval town document one of the earliest human dispersals outside Africa. Human fossils approximately 1.75–1.85 million years old, stone tools and animal remains have been investigated at the same site.
What was found?
- 1D2282 skull
The skull, classified by the Smithsonian as Homo erectus, is approximately 1,77 million years old. It is among the earliest known human skulls outside Africa.
- 2Stone tools
Stone tools were found alongside early human fossils. These document the human presence at Dmanisi through manufactured objects as well as skeletal remains.
- 3Fossil animal bones
Excavations revealed abundant, well-preserved animal fossils. These remains constitute an important source for investigating the environment in which early humans lived.
What does it point to?
Dmanisi documents a very early stage of human dispersal beyond Africa. The presence here of small-brained early Homo individuals is important for understanding the biological characteristics of the humans involved in this dispersal.
What did it teach us?
- It showed that early humans were present in the Caucasus approximately 1,77 million years ago.
- It revealed that dispersal beyond Africa also included small-brained early Homo individuals.
- Human fossils, stone tools and animal remains together documented the early history of the same site.
Images


Record
- Culture
- Early Homo communities
- Coordinates
- 41.3370°, 44.3455°
Sources
Nearby excavations
- Ani 114 km
- Erebuni Fortress 134 km
- Areni-1 Cave 193 km
- Nokalakevi 211 km
- Ancient Gabala 286 km
- Azykh Cave / Azokh Cave 294 km
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- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
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Arkeofili ↗ - Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii
Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Lead seal of a bishop named Stefan found in Croatia
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Heritage Daily ↗ - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
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HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
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Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - New prehistoric settlement identified on the shore of the Dardanelles
A newly published study presented Yaylatepe Höyük, identified during surface surveys in 2024, and its pottery spanning the end of the Late Chalcolithic to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age for the first time. According to the researcher, the settlement, which has a visual connection with Asartepe on the opposite shore, contributes to understanding prehistoric coastal connections along the strait.
Arkeoloji Dergisi ↗
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