Azizkendi Tepe: Results From the Second Season of Excavations at a New “Leilatepe” Period Site in the Republic of Georgia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Divergent Paths, Shared Histories: Examining Archaeological Trends from the Caucasus to Mongolia" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Azizkendi Tepe is a Late Chalcolithic period (ca 3900-3500BCE) site located in the Marneuli plain in southern Georgia. The site was discovered in 2019 during pedestrian survey and after just two seasons of excavation it has come to hold a unique and important place in the archaeology of the South Caucasus. Research at Azizkendi Tepe has revealed new information about the complex process of acculturation that took place during the “Leilatepe” period as Mesopotamian people migrated into the region. Over time, locals and newcomers participated in the formation of new social realities and novel practices which are visible in the material record at Azizkendi Tepe.This paper presents excavated material from that site, and situates it in the broader context of changing practices and identities during the mid 5th millennium BCE.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Divergent Paths, Shared Histories: Examining Archaeological Trends from the Caucasus to Mongolia

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52796