The street underwent renovation – and beneath it a lost chapter of the city's past was discovered

Municipal workers renovating Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi uncovered a cache of pottery about a thousand years old at a depth of six meters. The findings, including decorated fragments and jugs, date back to the 10th and 11th centuries, the period of Arab rule. Researchers estimate the area served as an ancient workshop at a commercial crossroads on the Silk Road.

Municipal workers engaged in renovating the bustling Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, encountered a cache of ancient pottery about a thousand years old deep underground. The findings, including pottery shards with intricate decorations and clay jugs, were discovered at a depth of about six meters below the main street level, during excavations for the construction of new pedestrian crossings. According to preliminary assessments, the vessels date back to the 10th and 11th centuries CE – a period when Tbilisi was under Muslim-Arab rule and served as an important transit station on the Silk Road routes. David Lordkipanidze, director of the Georgian National Museum, noted that the discovery is not surprising given the city's rich past. Archaeologist Merab Dzneladze presented the findings to Mayor Kakha Kaladze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. The article notes that during that period, a deep-rooted Jewish community existed in the city, enjoying the status of "protected people" under Muslim rule.