Dmanisi

Gamarjobut!

All is well in Georgia. We just got back from Dmanisi today and we are witnessing the first rain in Tbilisi since we've been here. It is actually tolerable outside too, and not 100 degrees, which it has been pretty much every other day.

Dmanisi is really awesome. It is a beautiful location in the Lesser Caucasus. I took many pictures as we walked around the site, and I'm sure there will be many more to come as I start being involved with the excavations. The photos are on FB and can be seen at this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032742&id=185200036&l=043a635f12

I slept in the bunks the first night as not really anyone was around, and then I slept in my tent to test it out the second night. And of course, it started storming shortly after I set up my tent. It seems to be fairly water proof though, which is good. It is a little small though. I had to sleep diagonally in it and there were a few giant rocks that I apparently didn't see that were right underneath where I slept. I slept decently despite that fact though.

The dighouse itself was a lot of fun. Most people just sit around and play games, mainly chess and backgammon, both of which I was lucky enough to have been taught as a kid. I also got my first taste of Chacha, which is basically a Georgian moonshine of sorts, made from the leftovers of the smushed grapes from the wine making process. I didn't think it was too bad. Of course, I had it after we ran out of cognac, which is also popular there, so it wasn't a true tasting. We had many toasts to many different things and I had a pretty good time.

There were many interesting things at the site. Dr. Ferring was excavating in M5 and they have a pretty deep hole so far, and apparently have about 10-15 more meters before they hit the Mashavera basalt, which is where the sediment ends, generally speaking.

Gotta run though.

I'll keep the blogs coming as quickly as I can write them.

Nakhvamdis,

Reed