Speaker: Archaeological finds along Rustaveli Avenue enrich capital’s history, confirming Tbilisi as a key Silk Road artery

“Artefacts recently unearthed in central Tbilisi reaffirm that one of the primary arteries of the Silk Road passed directly through the capital along present-day Rustaveli Avenue,” Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili has declared.

According to Papuashvili, the archaeological discoveries lend rich historical nuance to the city’s heritage.

“Together with the Mayor of Tbilisi, we inspected the site discovered during ongoing infrastructure works. This marks another fascinating chapter in our capital’s story. First and foremost, I wish to extend my gratitude to Tbilisi City Hall for their meticulous oversight regarding potential archaeological artefacts unearthed during these operations. I also want to thank the archaeologists working around the clock to bring this historic chapter to light.

It was deeply compelling to visit the site, which appears to have housed a pottery workshop. Earthenware vessels were found still preserved inside a kiln, abandoned underground centuries ago, likely due to a major historical upheaval such as an invasion or raid. Now, after hundreds of years, these X-XI century artefacts, as estimated by archaeologists, have seen the light of day for the first time. They add a magnificent dimension to the history of our country and capital, confirming once again that a vital line of the Silk Road ran straight through Tbilisi, along modern-day Rustaveli Avenue,” Shalva Papuashvili stated.