Bronze Age "mega fortress" analysed by drones
January 11, 2025
Evrim Yazgin
Cosmos science journalist
A 3,000-year-old “mega fortress” in the Caucasus mountains has been mapped using drones, revealing the Bronze Age structure to be 40 times larger than previously thought.
The fortress, named Dmanisis Gora, is about 65km southwest of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia.
Atmospheric photo of the site at dusk, showing the location at the convergence of two gorges. Credit: Nathaniel Erb-Satullo.
Dmanisis Gora was built between 1500–500 BCE. At the time, other massive fortresses were being built around the South Caucasus region. The construction of the mega forts marked a profound shift in the history of the area.
The region sits between Europe, Central Asia’s steppes and the Middle East. It has a rich history as a cultural crossroads and communities there were among the first to domesticate horses.
Excavations of Dmanisis Gora since 2018 revealed fortification walls scattered far beyond where archaeologists had believed the structure extended. It became clear that it wouldn’t be possible to determine the fortress’s true size from the ground.
More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/bronze-age-mega-fortress-caucasus/