The settlements and necropolises on and around Grakliani Hill are situated about an hour’s drive north-east of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, near the village of Samtavisi-Igoeti, at an altitude of approximately 680 metres above sea level. In 2008, emergency excavations were carried out at the foot of the hill as part of a motorway expansion project. The findings were highly surprising and significant for research into the earliest urban developments, not only in Georgia but for the entire Caucasus and its connections to Anatolia and Iran.

 Following the completion of the rescue excavations, Prof. Dr. Vakthang Licheli, who teaches archaeology at Tbilisi State University, decided to expand the project, as he was convinced of the supra-regional significance of the findings. Since then, new and outstanding results have been uncovered every year, leading to investment in the construction of a local museum.

Another unique altar was found not far from there, the main feature of which is a circular clay hearth with a protome of an ibex. Numerous vessels containing offerings were placed around it and were found in situ. The site is thought to date from the 13th–12th centuries BC.

The number of finds and archaeological features from the Iron Age, dating from the 8th to 6th centuries BC, is above average. Numerous dwellings and houses have been documented to date. These are generally built into the hillside, resulting in a terraced layout of the settlement. In the north-western corner of these mostly square buildings is a baking oven with two ash pits and a platform on which vessels have repeatedly been found. These structures are associated with the fire cult of Zarathustra.

Remains of a building complex dating from the Late Iron Age, around 450–350 BC, have been found, consisting of three storage rooms and three main rooms, the dimensions of which could be clearly identified from the surrounding post holes. A large roof protected this building, which is an outstanding example of the complex planning of multifunctional structures in the Caucasus region. The three main rooms follow a similar layout: against the west wall, a clay platform has been constructed on which vessels could be stored. One vessel, crushed by the collapse of the roof, contained grain.  Furthermore, a centrally located table or a smoothed storage surface, also constructed of clay, was found in each room. On the north-east side of each room is a hearth, proportionate to the relative size of the room. 

During the 2015 excavation, the oldest inscription ever found in Georgia was discovered. The base of an altar, believed to have been dedicated to a fertility goddess, is decorated with an inscription in an unknown alphabet, moulded from clay. The characters appear to bear similarities to Ancient Greek, Aramaic and early Semitic scripts.

 ‘The discovery is very likely to change Georgian history and will seriously attract international interest.’ - Mikheil Giorgadze, Minister of Culture of Georgia

 Older temples, altars and sacred ovens from Grakliani are associated with the Zoroastrian cult. Archaeological finds indicate a connection to the Persian region.

 In 2026, we will be able to continue our work at various settlement terraces and the burial ground on the plateau of Grakliani Hill. There is an opportunity to participate in excavations at both Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement sites. Supervision, guidance and assistance with the work will be provided by archaeologists from the Erlebnis Archäologie association.