Vani archaeological site

The Vani archaeological site is a multi-layer archaeological site in western Georgia, located on a hill at the town of Vani in the Imereti region. It is the best studied site in the hinterland of an ancient region, known to the Classical world as Colchis, and has been inscribed on the list of the Immovable Cultural Monuments of National Significance.

Remains of fortifications and temples, locally produced and imported Greek pottery, and sophisticated local goldwork—now on display at the Vani Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi—indicate that Vani was a vibrant urban settlement from the 8th century down to the mid-1st century BC. An ancient name for Vani is unknown: two competing hypotheses identify the site with the Surium of Pliny the Elder or the Leucothea of Strabo.