Erda culture
The Erda culture [ɜ:də], Modern Arithide [ɛʁðə], Dethrian [ɛrðə]) is the name given by archaeologists to the group of early settlements excavated in Erdia along the lower course of the Or river, dating to more than 6,000 years ago. The first representative settlement found of the culture was a hamlet approximately 6 keth (21km) northwest of modern-day Kyris.
Despite being the oldest culture found in the area, the Erda is considered the most advanced, with evidence found of rice and wheat cultivation, domestication of sheep and cattle, and extensive fishing activities. Diverse, highly worked stone tools have also been found, suggesting a society already self-sufficient enough to engage in trade specialisation. Erda pottery was also comparatively elaborate and richly differentiated, making use of a variety of different clays and decorated variously by carving or painting depending on the geographical location and age.
Other discovered settlements—notably the Nuroi, Pisa and Duvai cultures—have been linked to the Erda as successor cultures after the
