Aradetis Orgora is a multiperiod settlement in the Shida-Kartli region of Georgia, located on a natural hill overlooking the Kura River. Between 2013 and 2016 it was excavated by a Georgian-Italian joint expedition that revealed occupational phases spanning from the Early Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. The Kura-Araxes period (corresponding to the KA 2 phase in the traditional tripartite periodization) is particularly significant for the architectural evidence excavated in Sector B. In spite of the limited excavated surface, this was characterised by a high heterogeneity in terms of building plans, materials and techniques unearthed in the different levels. Samples for soil-micromorphological analysis were collected from buildings, floors and different types of installations of the different phases of Kura-Araxes occupation at the site. The paper will present the results of this microscopic approach to the study of building materials, which reveals interesting otherwise not visible features and sheds light on the building processes, use and life of the analysed structures.

First Author: Sebastiano Claut

Co-Authors: Giovanni Boschian, Elena Rova

Keywords:
Southern Caucasus
Early Bronze Age
Kura-Araxes
Soil-micromorphology
Architecture
Building techniques