Archaeologists In Georgia Unearth 1.8-million-year-old Human Jawbone

OROZMANI, Georgia — Archaeologists in Georgia person unearthed a 1.8-million-year-old jawbone belonging to an early type of quality that they opportunity will shed ray connected immoderate of nan earliest prehistoric quality settlements connected nan Eurasian continent.

The Georgian tract astatine Orozmani — smaller than 2 parking spaces but rich | successful history — has brought to ray nan oldest remains of early humans yet excavated extracurricular Africa and offers clues to nan patterns of Homo erectus, a hunter-gatherer type that scientists judge started migrating astir 2 cardinal years ago.

“The study of nan early quality and fossil animal remains from Orozmani will let america to find nan manner of nan first colonizers of Eurasia,” said Giorgi Bidzinashvili, a professor of chromatic property archaeology astatine Ilia State University successful Tbilisi.

“We deliberation Orozmani tin springiness america large accusation astir humankind.”

An archaeologist useful astatine nan excavation tract wherever a presumably dated 1.8-million-year-old little jawbone belonging to an early type of quality was found, successful nan colony of Kvemo Orozmani, Georgia August 15, 2025.Irakli Gedenidze / Reuters

The little jawbone was recovered astir 62 miles southwest of nan Georgian superior of Tbilisi, wherever archaeologists successful 2022 excavated a bony from early humans of nan aforesaid era. In nan adjacent colony of Dmanisi, 1.8-million-year-old quality skulls person antecedently been found.

In this latest discovery, archaeologists besides recovered fossils from animals including a saber-toothed tiger, elephant, wolf, cervid and giraffe, arsenic good arsenic a cache of chromatic tools.

Close study of nan jawbone and nan animal fossils tin output important answers astir really early humans evolved aft they near Africa, including what they ate and what nan ambiance was like, scientists say.

At nan Orozmani excavation site, archaeologists observe caller remains of Homo erectus each year.

“My 2nd time (on nan dig) I recovered a bully small ankle bone,” said Miles Alexandre, a caller anthropology postgraduate from nan University of Rhode Island successful nan U.S.

“You spell down 5 centimeters (about 2 inches)... there’s a bully chance you’re going to find something.”