
Rabati settlement

Rabati settlement Findings
Plan
The first archaeological excavations at the Rabati settlement, exploratory in nature, were carried out in 1973 under the direction of Tariel Chubinishvili. It was during these excavations that the famous Bronze Age clay double-headed figurine with obsidian eyes was discovered. In the following years, archaeological research at the Rabati settlement was continued by the Samtskhe-Javakheti Permanent Expedition under the leadership of Otar Ghambashidze. During this period, in addition to the settlement itself, Middle Bronze Age kurgan-type burials were discovered in its vicinity. According to their discoverer, these burials exhibit certain affinities with the cultures of Asia Minor and the Aegean world.
Archaeological investigations at the Rabati settlement were renewed in 2016 under the auspices of a Georgian–Australian research project, directed on the Australian side by Antonio Sagona. As a result of these studies, Early Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age structures were uncovered, including occupation layers contemporary with the nearby kurgans.
The study of the Rabati settlement involves specialists from various disciplines, including archaeobotanists, palynologists, zooarchaeologists, and surveyors. This multidisciplinary research plays an important role in reconstructing the lifeways of ancient populations, including the study of their economic activities, social organization, and other aspects of their society and daily life.









