On Monday, 2nd July the Ambassador of Italy to Georgia Federica Favi will visit the archaeological settlement of Natsargora, where Italian experts from Venice "Ca' Foscari" University are conducting excavations. The Italian archaeologists, headed by Professor Elena Rova, arrived in Georgia for the fourth time since 2009 in the middle of June and will continue their work until the end of July. The mission is co-headed by Dr Zurab Makharadze, from the National Museum of Georgia, and Professor Marina Puturidze, from Tbilisi State University.
The research project focuses on the civilizations of the Late Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Ages (IV-III millennium BC) in the region of Shida Kartli. Natsargora, situated in the Khashuri district, is considered an important settlement dating back to the Early Bronze Age. The same area was investigated by the Georgian archaeologist Ramishvili between 1984 and 1987. Continuation of activities like superficial explorations and collection of finds for archaeological analysis are foreseen. Around twenty students and experts from Italy, Georgia and other countries will participate to the works on the field.
The first volume dedicated to the findings of the previous missions was published in the beginning of June: E. ROVA, M. PUTURIDZE (Eds.), Khashuri Natsargora: The Early Bronze Age Graves, Publications of the Georgian-Italian Shida Kartli Archaeological Project I, Brepols Publisher, Turnhout 2012.
More information on this archaeological mission in Italian and Georgian languages is published at the following link:
http://www.ambtbilisi.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Tbilisi/Menu/I_rapporti_bilaterali/Coo