Human remains from Khramis Didi Gora, Georgia, 2025

Khramis Didi Gora is a Late Neolithic settlement located in Kvemo Kartli Plain (South Caucasus, Georgia), at the confluence of the Khrami and Debeda rivers (Figure 1).Recent radiocarbon dating, which was undertaken using animal bones and teeth, provided a date range between 5684 and 5369 cal.BC (95.4% probability).Excavations at this site were initiated by the Georgian Museum in 1972 and continued until 1986, being directed first by Dr. Aleksandre Javakhishvili and then by Dr. Tamaz Kiguradze.Excavations revealed this site as the largest known Late Neolithic settlement in the South Caucasus (Menabde et al. 1978).After a gap of a few decades, in 2023 Mariam Eloshvili (Ilia State University) resumed excavations at the site.The settlement presents an oval mound that features nine recorded archaeological strata characterised by mudbrick architecture, confirming the presence of a unique building complex with continuous construction phases.Each time damage occurred the mudbricks underwent renovations, indicating that life on the hill continued uninterrupted throughout the Late Neolithic (Menabde et al. 1978).Previous research conducted at Khramis Didi Gora highlighted a complex social life on the hill, which is based on material culture: diverse bone and lithic tools, pottery production, and anthropomorphic figurines found in the buildings.During the latest phase of archaeological investigations at Khramis Didi Gora initiated in 2023, the team started cleaning the old trench identified as 600m and examined the southern profile to document the stratigraphy (Eloshvili et al. in print).After the 2023 season at Khramis Didi Gora a new excavation was started in 2025, with the opening of a 1010 meter trench on the north-west part of the hill.The settlement is mostly occupied by Neolithic strata, although there are later disturbances.Bronze Age and Medieval burials were also uncovered, carved into Neolithic levels, which damaged the construction of Neolithic dwellings and other structures.Dur

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