The 2025 field season at Doghlauri and Berikldeebi, located in the Shida Kartli region of Central Georgia, revealed burials dating from the Early Bronze to the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age. These excavations are part of an ongoing three-year interdisciplinary project investigating population dynamics and cultural developments in the South Caucasus between the 4th and 1st millennia BCE.
At Doghlauri, nine burials representing several chronological phases were excavated (five EBA, one MBA, two LBA, and one transitional LBA–EIA). These include a number of burial types, such as simple pit graves, stone-covered burials and a stone-lined chamber tomb containing multiple individuals. Variability is evident both in the disposition of the dead and in the associated grave goods - pottery, weaponry and jewelry, reflecting diverse social structure. Furthermore, several burials show evidence of disturbance and re-use, suggesting complex and long-term funerary practices.
At Berikldeebi, excavations focused on a small Middle Bronze Age kurgan with a dromos. The structure contained limited human remains but substantial animal deposits and associated artifacts, suggesting ritualized practices and the secondary treatment of the dead. The kurgan intersected two Chalcolithic and one Early Bronze Age pits.
This presentation outlines the excavation method, stratigraphy, burial typology, and preliminary artifact analysis from both sites. Current interdisciplinary studies include radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA, stable isotope analysis, physical anthropology, and palynological research. These approaches aim to reconstruct patterns of mobility, diet, health, and the environment to contextualize cultural transformations between the Bronze and Iron Ages within broader regional processes.
The 2025 fieldwork provides a significant new dataset for Shida Kartli and establishes a foundation for integrated bioarchaeological research on long-term cultural and demographic processes in the South Caucasus.

First Author: Nikoloz Gobejishvili

Co-Authors: David Gagoshidze , Kristine Shavlakadze

Keywords:
South Caucasus
The Bronze Age
Population dynamics
Paleoanthropology
Cemetery
Kurgan