Archaeologists discover early medieval site in southwest Georgia

Archaeologists have made a fresh discovery of traces of early medieval life in Georgia while excavating a site within the Atskuri Cathedral in the country's southwest.

Remains of buildings of varying designation were uncovered during digging works within the confines of the church, the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia announced today.

The constructions were dated back to early Middle Ages, said the agency when announcing results of the archaeological dig. The dig site is located about 100km west of capital Tbilisi.

The archaeological team working on site also unearthed remains of a church outside the walls of the Atskuri Cathedral, which also dated back to the same period.

The archaeological works also unveiled a text carved in stone in the old Georgian script Asomtavruli. Photo from the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia/Facebook.

The experts also found decorative items and a text carved in stone in the old Georgian script Asomtavruli, more precisely attributed to the 10th Century AD.

The site of the Atskuri Cathedral has been the focus of archaeological digs in parallel to restoration works on the church itself.

Restored in the 14th Century AD after the monastery that initially stood there was destroyed by an earthquake, the Atskuri Cathedral is regarded as "one of the most important monument of Georgian religious architecture" by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia.

The excavation team also found decorative items dating back to the 10th Century AD. Photo from the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia/Facebook.

The two-stage restoration work will strengthen the construction of the building - with only one third of the church currently intact - before large-scale works commence next year.

The Cathedral as well as the nearby Atskuri Fortress have been heavily damaged over many years of neglect and at the mercy of mother nature.

Georgia's Culture Ministry and Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation have been involved in several projects to restore medieval and ancient monuments across Georgia in recent years.

Georgia's state program for Cultural Heritage Protection restored and preserved monuments such as the 13th Century Skuri church in Georgia's northwest and ancient cave city Vardzia in the country's south.