Archaeology & History

Mysterious 3,000-year-old fortress turns out to be 40 times larger

By T.K. Randall
January 9, 2025 ·  0 comments

An aerial view of the site. Image Credit: Nathaniel Erb-Satullo et al. Situated in the Caucasus mountains, Dmanisis Gora - described as a 'mega fortress' - is a large ancient fortified complex located on a hilltop in southern Georgia.

Believed to date back 3,000 years, the fortress is significantly larger than any others in the region, yet our understanding of the people who once occupied it continues to remain thin on the ground.

What makes the site particularly notable is the fact that, following its initial excavation, archaeologists discovered that it featured a second set of fortifications and that its true size is in fact so large that it is only really possible to appreciate it from the air.

Incredibly, it is now thought to be more than 40 times larger than originally believed."[Our] drone took nearly 11,000 pictures which were knitted together using advanced software to produce high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos - composite pictures that show every point as if you were looking straight down," said study author Dr Nathaniel Erb-Satullo.

"These datasets enabled us to identify subtle topographic features and create accurate maps of all the fortification walls, graves, field systems, and other stone structures within the outer settlement."

"The results of this survey showed that the site was more than 40 times larger than originally thought, including a large outer settlement defended by a 1km long fortification wall."

Oddly, however, excavations have since revealed little in the way of artifacts in the extensive outer settlement of the fortress, suggesting that very few people actually lived there and that it may have even been abandoned not long after being established.

Exactly why this should be the case continues to remain a mystery.

Source: IFL Science | Comments (0)

Tags: Dmanisis Gora