Palaeolithic rock art from Mghvimevi, western Georgia

Abstract

The Caucasus region, located at the juncture of the European and Asian continents, is an area that has already seen, from an archaeological perspective, the passage of people and cultures over a long period of time and is of key importance in helping us better understand the global rock art phenomenon. Palaeolithic rock art from this region had previously only been known from Gobustan, Azerbaijan. However, prior to the discovery of this extensive site by I. Jafarzade in 1939, Russian archaeologist S. Zamyatnin found Palaeolithic engravings in Mghvimevi rock shelter near the town of Chiatura, western Georgia, in 1934. Until now, this key discovery was neglected, even believed to be destroyed. In 2022, a re-examination of the cave and rock shelter sites in Western Georgia, specifically in the municipality of Chiatura, with a major focus on Mghvimevi, successfully relocated the rock art site. As a result, this previously forgotten discovery has been brought to light.