New Hearth of Hominids Discovered in Georgia Outside the African Continent

A team of researchers from the Georgian National Museum has discovered a new hearth of hominids in Dmanisi Municipality, near the village of Kvemo Orozmani, outside the African continent, which dates back to 1.77-1.84 million years.

The discovered artefacts completely changed the perception of the Orozmani monument. Evidence has emerged that in addition to the famous archeological site of Dmanisi, there is another prehistoric site of world importance. Archaeological excavations, along with the remains of well-preserved buried animals, have revealed Dmanisi-like Early Paleolithic (1.77-1.84 million years) artefacts - stone tools and more. 

Orozman's paleontological site has been known to researchers since the 1960s. In 2010, a group of Georgian and French researchers determined the date of the monument by the method of absolute dating of the paleontological monument. The results were published in an international rating journal.

In 2019, members of the Dmanisi scientific expedition of the Georgian National Museum conducted reconnaissance and archeological works on the monument. Artefacts similar to Dmanisi, revealing the activity of ancient hominids on the monument, along with the remains of ancient fauna, were discovered as a result of examining the test site.

From August 20, 2021, the first season of the international scientific expedition with the participation of Georgian and American scientists and students is underway to study the Orozmani monument.

The discovery of Orozmani is of great scientific interest among Georgian and foreign experts, as it is argued that the South Caucasus, particularly the area around Dmanisi municipality, was massively explored by groups of ancient hominids (Homo erectus) migrating from Africa to Eurasia.