Sakdrisi

Sakdrisi (Georgian: საყდრისი), also known as the Sakdrisi-Kachagiani site (საყდრისი-ყაჩაღიანი), is a gold mine and an archaeological site, containing a prehistoric mine, in Georgia, in the south of the country's Kvemo Kartli region, located between the Neolithic site of Arukhlo and the Paleolithic site of Dmanisi.[1][2]

Part of the Sakdrisi site.
"Save Sakdrisi" protest in Tbilisi.

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 a cultural monument status, which had been conferred on it in 2006, and gave permission to the mining company RMG to 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 the Georgian Orthodox Church and disapproved by President Giorgi Margvelashvili, but defended by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. On 25 December 2014, the Parliament of Georgia approved 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 ruling Georgian Dream coalition blocked the probe by refusing to vote for a composition of the commission.[9]

References
  1. Parzinger, Hermann (16 August 2013). "Position to Sakdrisi Gold Mining Complex" (PDF). Deutscher Verband für Archäologie. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  2. Hauptmann, Andreas; Klein, Sabine (2009). "Bronze Age gold in Southern Georgia". ArcheoSciences. 33: 75–82.
  3. "Salt, copper, gold: Early mining in the Caucasus". Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  4. "International delegates assess controversial mining at Sakdrisi gold mine". Agenda.ge. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  5. Rimple, Paul (11 March 2014). "Georgia: What's Worth More — Gold or Knowledge about Human Origins?". EurasiaNet's Weekly Digest. EurasiaNet. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  6. "The Statement of EaP Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform". Open Society Georgia Foundation. February 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  7. "Parliamentary Probe into Sakdrisi Endorsed". Civil Georgia. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  8. Rimple, Paul (16 December 2014). "Georgia: Russian-Owned Gold Company Restarts Work at Archaeological Site". Eurasianet.org. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  9. "GD Blocks Parliamentary Probe into Sakdrisi". Civil Georgia. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

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