Charred grains, game bones, and ornamented pottery: Archaeologists have discovered an ancient settlement in Adygea.
In Adygea, archaeologists have discovered an ancient settlement of hunters and herders, dating back almost three thousand years. Scientists found traces of the community on the Azish Ridge near a previously studied Proto-Maeotian burial ground.
Hearths, ceramics and diet of the ancient inhabitants of the Azish Range
The main confirmation that the researchers had indeed found a communal site was the discovery of five hearths—four small and one large. A preliminary analysis revealed that the neighboring burial ground was not the resting place of stern warriors, but of a local community of hunters and herders.
For example, archaeologists discovered exquisitely decorated pottery, a hunting arrow, and numerous animal bones. To determine the detailed diet and lifestyle of the inhabitants, specialists from the Caucasus Nature Reserve and the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences were brought into the project.
Furthermore, experts have already established that the proto-Maeotes successfully bred cattle, sheep, and small horses, and also hunted wild boar, roe deer, and ibex. By washing the cultural layer, the researchers recovered charred plant seeds and established that the ancient inhabitants cultivated barley and einkorn wheat.
The trade route through the Caucasus and the plans of scientists
Moreover, characteristic bronze objects and artifacts indicate close ties between this area and the Transcaucasus. This therefore provides researchers with strong evidence that a vital ancient trade route ran through the Azish Range.
In the future, scientists plan to compare the discovered seeds and objects with other sites in the Caucasus. This will allow them to more accurately understand how agriculture spread and how the climate influenced the lives of the first mountain farmers at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages.
It should be noted that the research is being conducted as part of the Russian Science Foundation's large-scale project "The North Caucasus in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages: People, Horses, and Metal." The active work was prompted by discoveries in 2023, when a proto-Maeotian necropolis consisting of 22 burials was discovered.
