• August 27, 2026 | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
  • 311

131 - Pathways Through the Past: Reassessing South Caucasus Archaeology from the Neolithic to the Early Iron Age

Regular session
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The Caucasus remains one of the most dynamic and diverse regions for archaeological investigation. Despite more than a century of research, many fundamental questions about human adaptation, interaction, and cultural transformation across this complex landscape remain open. Building on the discussions initiated in our previous EAA session (#924), “Roads, Passes and Valleys? Recent Discoveries and Perspectives in Caucasus Archaeology,” this continuation seeks to broaden the chronological scope from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to include the Early Iron Age, thereby enabling a more comprehensive understanding of long-term socio-economic and cultural developments in the region.
During the past year, numerous new studies have been conducted across these periods, and many of the researchers involved have expressed their willingness to present their latest results. Several participants from the previous session also encouraged the chronological extension, emphasising the need for comparative dialogue between Bronze and Early Iron Age developments.
The session invites contributions that present discoveries, methodological innovations, and reinterpretations of earlier materials. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches that integrate archaeological, bioarcheological, environmental, and technological data to illuminate the connections between local developments and interregional dynamics.
• Migration and Mobility – purposes, mechanisms, and consequences of movement across and beyond the Caucasus;
• Trade and Exchange – raw materials, production networks, and evolving patterns of connectivity;
• Chaîne Opératoire – technological practices and the life cycles of materials from acquisition to discard;
• Ecology, Environment, and Landscape – human–environment interactions and adaptive strategies;
• Household and Community – perceptions of domestic and social spaces in different cultural contexts;
• Bioarchaeology – zooarchaeological, palaeobotanical, palynological, and human osteological perspectives.
Through this expanded temporal framework and renewed focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, the session aims to foster dialogue among researchers exploring the diverse cultural trajectories of the Caucasus.

Main Organizer(s)

M
Mariam Eloshvili

Co-organisers, invited speakers and discussants

A
Ana Davitashvili

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EAA Annual Meeting 2026

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