The Palaeolithic Site of Dmanisi in Georgia and Its Role in the Earliest Prehistory of Eurasia

This paper examines the role played by the Early Palaeolithic site of Dmanisi (Georgia) in the prehistory of Eurasia. The site was discovered by chance during the excavation underway at the Medieval settlement. Its discovery has radically changed our view of the chronology and behaviour of the first hominids that started to move out of Africa around 2 Ma ago. The researches carried out at Palaeolithic Dmanisi have shown that this event took place some 1 Ma before as compared to what had been previously suggested by most anthropologists and archaeologists.