In the Georgian village of Orozmani, a remarkable discovery has been made: a roughly 1.8-million-year-old jawbone belonging to Homo erectus. Finnish researchers are helping to map the site’s environmental and climatic conditions in a project funded by the Sohlberg Fund of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters.

The Finnish researchers have taken part in the excavations under the leadership of paleontologist Alexander Bakhia at the University of Helsinki. Their main task has been to analyze soil sediments to gain new knowledge about the climate and environment of the distant past. During the excavations, researchers have also uncovered bones of prehistoric animals as well as stone tools, providing valuable clues about how Homo erectus managed to survive in colder conditions far from Africa.

The project is being carried out in international collaboration with researchers from Georgia, Germany, Spain, and France. The discovery has already attracted considerable international attention, and Finnish researchers are now contributing to the preparation of a scientific article on the find.

This text is based on an article in Helsingin Sanomat (6 September 2025): Georgiasta löytyi varhaisihmisen leukaluu: ikää 1,8 miljoonaa vuotta.