Arukhlo I Archaeological Site (Gora Namosakhlari)

The Arukhlo I archaeological site, locally recognized as Gora Namosakhlari, stands as one of the most significant prehistoric settlements in the South Caucasus. Located within the fertile plains of the Marneuli Municipality near the village of Arukhlo, this low artificial mound holds the structural remains of an ancient agrarian society. The site is a primary reference point for the study of the Shulaveri-Shomu culture, an early farming civilization that flourished in the fertile river valleys of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan during the Neolithic era.

The Dawn of Caucasian Agriculture

Excavations at the mound have revealed a distinct multi-layered settlement pattern spanning generations of continuous habitation. The ancient residents of Arukhlo were among the earliest communities in the region to transition from a nomadic lifestyle to sedentary farming and pastoralism. Stratigraphic analysis shows that these early societies cultivated domesticated wheat and barley while raising cattle, sheep, and goats, taking full advantage of the alluvial soil near the Khrami River basin.

Architecture and Material Culture

Unlike later bronze and iron age fortifications, the architectural style here consists of clusters of circular mud-brick dwellings and storage structures. These round houses were built using sun-dried clay bricks, often connected by small courtyards or shared walls. Archaeological trenches have unearthed a vast assemblage of artifacts that illuminate daily prehistoric life:

• Obsidian Tools: Micro-blades, scrapers, and sickle segments sourced from volcanic deposits in the Lesser Caucasus highlands.
• Bone Implements: Polished awls, needles, and agricultural tools carved carefully from livestock bones.
• Coarse Pottery: Thick-walled, hand-molded ceramic vessels used for food storage, which represent the formative stages of pottery production in the South Caucasus.

Chronology and Regional Links

Radiocarbon dating places the primary layers of active settlement between the 6th and 5th millennia BCE. The discoveries made at this mound directly connect with neighboring Neolithic sites in the Kvemo Kartli plain, establishing a clear picture of shared trade routes, technological innovations, and social structures that defined the earliest architectural and agricultural landscape of the region.