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Giant
Dolmen with Petroglyphs in Dzhubga Valley
Tracing the Origin of Prehistoric Megalithic Architecture
in the Caucasus
Location of the site: Dzhubga, Tuapse region, Black Sea
coast, Russia
Date of the site: cal. 2480BC - 2400BC.
The Caucasian dolmens represent a unique type of prehistoric
tomb architecture, built using precisely dressed cyclopic stone
blocks. The monuments date between the 4th the 2nd millennium BC.
While generally unknown to the rest of the world, these Russian
megaliths are equal to the great megaliths of Europe and Asia in
terms of age and quality of architecture. Yet their origins
remain unknown.
Megaliths of the Caucasus display variation in the ways that
their component parts – mounds, courts and burial chambers –
were combined and arranged. The question is to which extent the
variety of dolmen architecture in the Caucasus depends on the
diffusion of ideas, the design requirements of their builders
and the symbolism of the tombs expressing alleged lineage
relationships between the living community, its ancestors and
the land.
Unfortunately, there is the substantial lack of comprehensive
knowledge related to the development and function of these still
quite enigmatic prehistoric megalithic structures. The only way
to learn more is to excavate more dolmens with well preserved
and sophisticated architecture. But how to make the right choice
from about 3000 recorded dolmens in the Western Caucasus? Time,
weather and vandalism almost have completely destroyed traces of
an architectural originality of dolmens, having transformed them
in ruins similar against each other.
 Fortunately, the destiny of
some dolmens has developed differently and their architectural
originality has been fixed before time has hidden them from us.
The Dzhubga Dolmen is such a happy sample! In 1841, British
political emissary, secret agent and arms smuggler in the
Caucasus named Sir James Bell published in London brief
description of rather odd huge megalith. Thirty years later, in
1871, Dr. F. Bayern from Tiflis published the drawing
representing the huge dolmen of unusual design. The wall around
the circular courtyard was about 2.5 m in height with no signs
of any entrance. It was very different from what we knew about
the dolmen design. The Bayern’s drawing persuaded me to start a
search of such unusual megalithic tomb. When it was finally
found, the view of its ruins just put flesh on the knowledge I
had before. There was obvious, that it is, probably, not only
the biggest, but also the most original dolmen in the Caucasus.
So, my new project aims to study, restore, protect and
eventually present a unique prehistoric megalithic tomb
“Dzhubga” to the public. The strategy of the fieldwork is to
excavate and re-assemble the Dzhubga dolmen and by means of a
systematic survey of the Dzhubga valley, to consider the site
within the wider valley environment. Our general aims are
followed by more specific questions. When, why and how was the
Dzhubga megalithic complex built? What did it look like
originally? For how long, and in what way, was the complex in
use? What lies behind the differences between the Dzhubga
complex and the rest of the dolmens in the Caucasus? Whether
existed any connections between dolmen building technique with
processed stone blocks (ashler) and the same kind of building
technology known at this time only in the Ancient East and in
the Mediterranean III-II mill.B.C. or not? This way we hope to
shed a new light on the problem of origin, use and development
of megalithic monuments in the Caucasus.
Field Season 2006: first results and prospects
 The field work on the site was lounched in July, 2006. The
dolmen stands on a hill overlooking the Dzhubga river and coast
line near the coastal resort village Dzhubga. The site covers
approximately 650 sq. meters. The field season was the first
major test of the site stratigraphy. The excavations of the 2006
season partly unearthed very striking structures which make up
the part of still not unearthed dolmen complex. Paved circular
enclosure lays in front of the dolmen, surrounded by 2.5 meters
high drywall built in ashler technique.
In 2006, what we decided to explore first was the circular
enclosure (courtyard) in front of burial chamber. The initial
purpose for working in this area was to discover the
relationship between the burial chamber and the courtyard in
front of it. Before our excavation the courtyard wall was
interpreted as late additions to the initial structure.
The 2006 excavations revealed and explored part of the massive
dry walling which shaped a high "curb" around the external
perimeter of the courtyard. The dry walling was made with big,
well-dressed sandstone blocks which werecarefully fitted each
other by shape and size. The outer side of each block was
slightly curved to keep the rounded line of the wall. Originally
the wall was made of three layers of stone blocks which were put
one above another. The wall was about 2.5 m in height from
inside and about 3. m above the ground level from outside. What
was extremely striking for us it is the absence of any signs of
any entrance structure. That is, it was absolutely blank wall!
Speaking frankly I expected to find the gate providing access to
the courtyard and further to the burial chamber. But the wall
was blank and it is turned the courtyard in front of the chamber
into enclosure or ceremonial stage. Here we have made the most
surprising discovery of the season. On the inner side of the
wall, straight against the entrance to the burial chamber we
found zoomorphic and anthropomorphic
 petroglyphs. It is the
first time in Caucasian archaeology. Frieze with five images in
line represents human being in the center and four animals
including deer, dog?, and another pair of horned animal. Before
this discovery the only kind of images known on dolmens was
geometric signs.
There are good reasons to believe that the frieze with five
images in line was engraved at the same time when the dolmen
itself was built. We collected some charcoal from the fireplace
inside of the courtyard which was covered with building refuse.
It gave us a chance to date both building period and engraving
of petroglyphs. The radicarbon date that was just obtained in
St.-Petersburg laboratory is the following: cal. 2480BC -
2400BC.
Field Season 2009:
The strategy of this year's fieldwork is to further
investigate the Dzhubga dolmen and by means of a systematic
survey of the valley, to consider the site within the wider
valley environment. This way we hope to build up a pattern of
the regional distribution of the dolmen cemeteries, quarries and
settlements in Dzhubga Valley.
We will reveal and explore the southern part of the massive dry
walling around the courtyards. By incorporating this season's
findings with the results of previous excavations, we will gain
a clearer picture of the full structure of the dolmen and how it
functioned in unity with their burial chamber, courtyard and
mound.
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 Group of dolmens in Achibs Valley
Location of the site: Schirokaya
Schel', Achibs Valley, Gelenjik region, Black Sea
coast, Russia
Date of the site: III mill. B.C.
During the field season
2006 we discovered a new group of dolmens in Achibs river valley
and launched excavation on one of megalithic tombs. The
excavation of group of dolmens known as “Rastegaev” will supply
us with additional information concerning the diversity of the
dolmen funeral custom. The group is comprised of 8 dolmens
standing in a row on the top of the ridge. Four of them have
been heavily destroyed by locals who smashed them to obtain
building material for selling, but the rest four of eight
dolmens have no any visible signs of recent intrusion and (we
hope!) preserved their deposits.
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