Archaeology and Natural Sciences (Experience of Interdisciplinary Archaeological Expedition in Kobuleti Village in 2019)

Abstract

In contemporary archaeology, branches of natural sciences are being actively implement - ed. The studies performed with their aid enable us to get thorough information about our past. The use of interdisciplinary research methods is especially important in the study of prehistoric matters, when it comes to the sites from the earliest periods (Stone, Bronze) of the past of humankind. Implementing interdisciplinary research on Stone Age sites has increased especially since the 1990s, when a number of international expeditions were conducted with the participation of Georgian and foreign specialists in the research of stone age sites. Nowadays, archeological research without using natural sciences is incomplete and unsatisfactory . In 2019, for the first time in the history of Adjara Stone Age archaeology, an internation - al archaeological expedition was carried out in Kobuleti village. Specialists of natural sciences participated in the expedition alongside archaeologists. The purpose of the expedition was to use contemporary methods to study the living conditions of the primaeval humans living on the territory of Kobuleti village, establish the main fields of their economy, determine the age of the settlement etc. In order to achieve the set goals, laboratory work using natural sciences was carried simultaneously with the archaeological excavations. Palynological samples were taken to determine the paleoenvironment of the primaeval humans. Palynology is a field of biology that studies the particles of plant dust and spores. It can be said that palynology has played a crucial role in reconstructing the vegetation and Paleoenvi - ronment of the Pleistocene and Holocene periods. T raceological (Use-Wear) analysis has been used to determine the economy used by humans in Kobuleti village. T raceology is a branch of forensic science that studies the traces left by a criminal. It was introduced to archaeology by a famous Russian scientist Sergei Semenov. Research using this method involves studying stone artifacts with a microscope. To determine the exact age of the settlement, it was essential to use the radiocarbon method, which is one of the most popular methods of dating in modern archaeology . The interdisciplinary archaeological work carried out in Kobuleti village has once again convinced us in the importance of using natural sciences in archaeological research.