A massive 3,000-year-old fortress in the Caucasus Mountains has been redefined through aerial drone mapping, revealing that the site is 40 times larger than previously estimated.
Discovering Dmanisis Gora
Located approximately 65 kilometers southwest of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, the fortress known as Dmanisis Gora dates back to 1500–500 BCE. This period saw the construction of numerous large-scale fortifications throughout the South Caucasus, marking a significant transformation in the region’s history. Strategically positioned between Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, the area has long been a cultural crossroads and played a crucial role in early horse domestication.
The Role of Drone Technology
Since 2018, excavations at Dmanisis Gora have uncovered fortification walls extending far beyond initial estimates. Due to the vast scale of the site, traditional ground surveys proved insufficient for accurately assessing its full extent.
This challenge led Dr. Nathaniel Erb-Satullo from Cranfield University in the UK to deploy drones for aerial mapping. "The drone captured nearly 11,000 images, which were then processed using advanced software to generate high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos," Erb-Satullo explains. These composite images provide a precise top-down perspective of the site, making it easier to analyze structural features.
The drones utilized for this study have an impressive positional accuracy of less than two centimeters, allowing for an exceptionally detailed survey of the fortress and its surroundings.
Insights from Historical Imagery
To enhance their analysis, researchers compared the drone imagery with Cold War-era spy satellite photos taken 50 years ago and declassified in 2013. These comparisons provided insights into changes in the landscape, including modern agricultural impacts on the ancient settlement.
"By integrating these datasets, we identified subtle topographic features and produced accurate maps detailing fortification walls, burial sites, agricultural field systems, and various other stone structures within the outer settlement," Erb-Satullo adds.
A Vast and Dynamic Settlement
The findings revealed that Dmanisis Gora spanned 60–80 hectares (0.6–0.8 square kilometers), making it one of the largest Bronze Age mega fortresses in the region. The outer settlement, enclosed by a formidable one-kilometer-long defensive wall, suggests a highly organized and expansive habitation site.
"The use of drones has been instrumental in unveiling the true scale and complexity of this site—something that would have been nearly impossible using traditional ground-based methods," Erb-Satullo states.
Beyond its regional importance, Dmanisis Gora provides broader insights into the diversity of large-scale settlements and their formation processes. Researchers theorize that the site’s expansion was influenced by interactions with mobile pastoral groups, with its outer settlement possibly fluctuating in size depending on seasonal migration patterns.
Future Research Directions
Now that the site has been extensively mapped, further research will delve into key aspects such as population density, livestock movement patterns, and agricultural practices. This ongoing analysis will continue to shed light on the dynamic nature of early settlements in the region and their adaptations to environmental and social factors.
