POPULATION OF THE OCCUPIED VILLAGES OF THE PRONE GORGE

Abstract

The work examines the population of the occupied Prone Gorge from ancient times to the present. Analysis of archaeological material reveals that a large part of the gorge, such as the Znauri (Kornisi) district (part of the South Ossetian Autonomous
Okrug during the USSR), has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, as indicated by the stone tools found in the areas of Tsaghvli, Tkotsa, and Kornisi.
Furthermore, the burial ground in the village of Dzagina (present-day Tighva Municipality) dates back to the Early Bronze Age. The pit-burials discovered in the village of Lisa are attributed to the 8th-7th centuries BC, and the burial ground of the village of Nuli, to the 6th-5th centuries. Later artifacts include 1st-century BC Parthian silver coins found in Nuli and a bronze buckle depicting a hunting scene found in the village of Avnevi.