Research Specialist
National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0009-0000-3329-9676
Ketisha80@gmail.com

Newly discovered settlement in Satorge

The report concerns a recently discovered settlement in the lower reaches of the Iori River, near Mount Kajiri, in the Satorge area. Covering approximately 30 hectares, the site includes terraced residential and economic structures, a water reservoir, a watchtower, and a rock-hewn domed church. Ceramic, metal and glass artifacts dating from the 9th to 13th centuries have been collected at the site, as well as slag and defective samples — indicating the presence of local production.

The dating of these artifacts corresponds with the artistic, architectural, and paleographic data of the domed church, suggesting that the church and the settlement existed contemporaneously.

The discovery of the Satorge settlement is particularly significant, as only one other settlement — Kvabebi — has previously been traced and partially studied on the Iori Plateau, in the mountainous region of Gareji. Kvabebi was located near the rock-hewn monastic complex of the same name, which raised numerous unanswered questions, primarily regarding the relationship between the cave complex and the adjacent settlement. Specifically, it remained unclear whether Kvabebi was a monastery with residential buildings or a secular rock-hewn village surrounded by other populated areas.

In this context, the newly discovered Satorge settlement may provide important clarifications and fresh insights into the nature and function of settlements in the region. At the same time, Satorge opens a new chapter in the study of the typology and economic structure of medieval settlements that developed in the lower reaches of the Iori River.

Keywords: Gareja Monasteries, Mount Qajiri, Ivirspiri, Settlement, High Middle Ages