Sakdrisi
Sakdrisi(Georgian:საყდრისი), also known as theSakdrisi-Kachagianisite (საყდრისი-ყაჩაღიანი), is agold mineand anarchaeological site,containing a prehistoric mine, inGeorgia,in the south of the country'sKvemo Kartliregion, located between theNeolithicsite ofArukhloand thePaleolithicsite ofDmanisi.[1][2]
From 2004 to 2011, a group of Georgian and German scientists carried out large-scale investigations and dated the site to the early 3rd millennium BC or to the second half of the 4th millennium, suggesting that Sakdrisi might be one of the world's oldest known gold mines.[3]In 2013, the government of Georgia deprived the site of acultural monumentstatus, which had been conferred on it in 2006, and gave permission to the mining companyRMGto extract gold in the wider area where Sakdrisi is located, sparking protests from academics and preservationists.[1][4][5][6]RMG launched its works until December 2014, leading to more protests from the political opposition parties and preservationists. It was also condemned by theGeorgian Orthodox Churchand disapproved byPresidentGiorgi Margvelashvili,but defended byPrime MinisterIrakli Garibashvili.On 25 December 2014, theParliament of Georgiaapproved a proposal to establish an ad hoc investigative parliamentary commission to probe into the developments around Sakdrisi,[7][8]but, on 4 March 2015, the rulingGeorgian Dreamcoalition blocked the probe by refusing to vote for a composition of the commission.[9]
The archaeological findings from Sakdrisi now are displayed in theBolnisi Museum.[10]
References
[edit]- ^abParzinger, Hermann (16 August 2013)."Position to Sakdrisi Gold Mining Complex"(PDF).Deutscher Verband für Archäologie.Retrieved24 May2014.
- ^Hauptmann, Andreas; Klein, Sabine (2009)."Bronze Age gold in Southern Georgia".ArcheoSciences.33:75–82.
- ^"Salt, copper, gold: Early mining in the Caucasus".Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum.Retrieved24 May2014.
- ^"International delegates assess controversial mining at Sakdrisi gold mine".Agenda.ge. 27 April 2014.Retrieved24 May2014.
- ^Rimple, Paul (11 March 2014)."Georgia: What's Worth More — Gold or Knowledge about Human Origins?".EurasiaNet's Weekly Digest.EurasiaNet.Retrieved24 May2014.
- ^"The Statement of EaP Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform".Open Society Georgia Foundation.February 2014.Retrieved24 May2014.
- ^"Parliamentary Probe into Sakdrisi Endorsed".Civil Georgia. 25 December 2014.Retrieved30 December2014.
- ^Rimple, Paul (16 December 2014)."Georgia: Russian-Owned Gold Company Restarts Work at Archaeological Site".Eurasianet.org.Retrieved30 December2014.
- ^"GD Blocks Parliamentary Probe into Sakdrisi".Civil Georgia.4 March 2015.Retrieved4 March2015.
- ^"Brand-new museum in Bolnisi town unveiled for International Museum Day".Agenda.GE. 19 May 2020.Retrieved31 May2022.
41°23′12″N44°23′37″E/ 41.3866°N 44.3935°E
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