The kurgans of the Alazani Valley in Eastern Georgia: A new assessment via remote sensing and targeted field survey

This paper presents the results of a landscape archaeological investigation conducted on the kurgans in the Alazani Valley, Eastern Georgia. Recognized for its remarkable kurgans, some exceeding 100 m in diameter, this region emerges as a pivotal area for the examination of burial mounds. The study highlights the effectiveness of integrated survey methods in mapping burial mounds within extensively exploited environments, facilitating the reconstruction of the archaeological landscape and the identification of areas with more preserved information. Utilizing remote sensing techniques, encompassing historical satellite imagery from the 1960s and recent data, coupled with a comprehensive four-year field survey, the research successfully mapped previously unrecorded kurgans. The analysis of historical and recent satellite imagery offers valuable insights into land use changes over the past six decades, enabling an assessment of the impact of human activity on the archaeological landscape.