09:00, 19 June 2010

Ancient settlements found in Olympic construction zone in Sochi

In the Imereti Lowland of Sochi, where 2014 Winter Olympiad objects are being erected, archaeologists found several ancient settlements dated back to the 4th-5th centuries BC.

"These are settlements of early Iron Age, 5th-4th centuries BC: 'Vesyoloye-1', 'Vesyoloye-2', 'Southern Cultures-1', 'Medieval Settlement' and the burial ground 'Vesyoloye-3'. In the territory of Sochi these are the first broad-scale excavations of the monuments of that period," said Roman Mimokhod, head of the Sochi group of archaeologists of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Articles of everyday life, primitive weapons and utensils have been found in places of ancient settlements, as the "Interfax" writes.

The archaeological excavations are conducted in the Imereti Lowland, close to the construction sites of Olympic objects; the works make part of the project "Protection of Imereti Lowland". All the revealed monuments of architecture are within the development zone, the RIA "Novosti" writes.