Ancient Networks Linked Dispersed Hunter‑Gatherers Across the Southern Caucasus
Directed by Dr. Ariel Malinsky‑Buller of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the research overturns previous assumptions about how prehistoric hunter‑gatherer groups endured from roughly 57,000 to 27,000 years ago.
Through an integration of archaeological, geological, and paleoenvironmental data, scholars reconstructed how these modest, dispersed populations moved through the varied terrain encompassing present‑day Armenia, Georgia, and adjacent areas.
The results uncovered a striking paradox: despite their limited size and scattered locations, the societies appeared far from isolated.
Artifacts such as stone implements and obsidian points indicate that community members regularly ventured up to 200 kilometres, sustaining ties with other groups across extensive distances.
Prehistoric communities evolved culturally over a gradual process
Similar customs discovered throughout the Southern Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands reinforce the notion that ancient peoples shared knowledge and preserved social bonds over long stretches.
Malinsky‑Buller’s work offers a fresh perspective on a pivotal era in human history—the shift from the Middle Paleolithic to the Upper Paleolithic.
The study demonstrates that populations did not simply replace one another abruptly; instead, distinct cultures coexisted for millennia.
Researchers contend that assessing mobility, ecological conditions, group size, and social networks together yields a more accurate reconstruction of how ancient societies responded to broader changes.
“Our findings suggest that mobility alone does not tell the full story of prehistoric survival,” said Dr. Ariel Malinsky‑Buller. “Even in regions with small and dispersed populations, people remained connected through networks of knowledge, technology, and social interaction.”
“These connections may have been just as important as environmental adaptation in helping communities endure periods of profound change.”
The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Yerevan University, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, the University of Algarve, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the University of Seville, the University of California Berkeley, Yale University, the University of Liverpool, the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, and the Royal Holloway University of London.
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