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Professors and researchers of the Ilia State University Institute of Earth Sciences discovered some artifact form the so-called Acheulian period of the Paleolithic Era while visiting the Martvili Museum. This is an especially important discovery also because Acheulian monuments are extremely scarce on the territory of Georgia.

Acheulian is an archeological industry, which belongs to early men Homo Erectus who lived during the Lower Paleolithic Era. Acheulian chronology began 1 million years ago (approximately 1.5-1.2 million years) and ended 100 000 years ago. Yet the timing differs in various regions.

Only 3 Acheulian monuments are stratified on the territory of Georgia and therefore, they are of high scientific importance. These monuments are the Tsoni Cave, Kudaro I and Kudaro III in Java of the Shida Kartli region. Hence, today it is impossible to work these. Yet prior to the conflict in the so-called South Ossetia these monuments were well studied and we can date them approximately as being of 1 million to 350 000 years ago.

Samegrelo and Kolkheti Lowlands are not well studied from the point of view of the Stone Age monuments. We only have some artifacts that were discovered by pure chance. They are conserved in the Martvili Museum which was on the agenda of Ilia State University professors and researchers visit of 10-12 December 2010. The aim of the field trip was to help and consult the Museum staff.

While taking care of the Museum collections, the scientists came across two Acheulian axes (that probably belong to middle or final Acheulian periods), several palelithic lamellas and one long unipolar retouched lamella. The latter typologically belongs to early middle Paleolith (300-13000 years).

The existence of Acheulian and early middle Paleolithic artifacts in Samegrelo region make us think that it is possible to find archeological, undamaged stratified monument. The region is not studied by archeologists at all and therefore, there is hope that new monuments can be discovered.