Dmanisi - the homeland of the most ancient Eurasians
Journal Title: Pro Georgia. Journal of Kartvelological Studies - Year 2018, Vol 0, Issue 28
Abstract
The Plio-Pleistocene hominin site Dmanisi is one of the most ancient human habitation sites anywhere in Eurasia, approximately equivalent in age to the oldest H. erectus localities in eastern Africa, which makes the Dmanisi remains crucial in the study of human evolution. Dmanisi’s strategic geographical setting at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and its earliest (1.85-1.76 Ma) chronometric position among all Eurasian hominin-artifact bearing localities explain its already prominent role in the modeling of dispersals to Eurasia. This broader signifi cance is matched by its extensive stratigraphic and spatial record of reoccupation events, providing a unique opportunity to document patterns of occupation, resource procurement and processing by early Homo. Dmanisi attracts scientifi c attention at present mainly for its signifi cant number of well-preserved hominin fossils. The large sample of cranial and postcranial specimens provide paleoanthropologists with an exceptional opportunity to assess variation within this early population, its affi nities with populations in Africa and the rest of Eurasia, and to develop models for the colonization and dispersal of hominins across the Eurasia. During the last decade, archaeological excavations at several different locations at Dmanisi revealed important new data about the human activities held at the site. The testing around the main excavation area show that the Pleistocene bone and artifact bearing sediments deposited cover at least 40 000 m2, which makes Dmanisi the largest site of this time period. Overall, Dmanisi is a remarkable site, preserving not only one of the most important Paleolithic occupations of Eurasia, but also a rich archaeological record of Georgia’s Medieval period.
Authors and Affiliations
Tea Shelia Shelia
Keywords
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