, nickname = , settlement_type = Village , motto = , image_skyline = Canyon.png , imagesize = , image_caption = Gachedili's canyon , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Georgia#Georgia Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti , pushpin_label_position = bottom , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_map_caption = Location in Georgia , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type2 = Region , subdivision_name2 =

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti ( Georgian: სამეგრელო-ზემო სვანეთი) is a region ( Mkhare) in western Georgia with a population of 308,358 (2021) and a surface of . The region has Zugdidi as its administrative center, ...

, subdivision_type3 =

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

, subdivision_name3 =

Martvili Martvili ( ka, მარტვილი) is a small town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti province of Western Georgia. Its monastery was Samegrelo's clerical centre in the Middle Ages. Under Soviet rule, from 1936 to 1990, it was named Gegechkori after S ...

, established_title = Established , established_date = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 240 , population = 427 , population_as_of = 2014 , population_density_km2 = , timezone = Georgian time , utc_offset = +4 , timezone_DST = , utc_offset_DST = , blank_name = , blank_info = , website = Gachedili ( ka, გაჭედილი; xmf, გოჭკადილი) is a village located in the

Martvili Municipality Martvili ( ka, მარტვილის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a district of Georgia, in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. Its main town is Martvili. Martvili Municipality is located in the north-eastern part of we ...

of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

. Gachedili is situated on the right side of the

Abasha river Abasha ( ka, აბაშა) is a town in western Georgia with a population of 4,941. It is situated between the rivers of Abasha and Noghela, at 23m above sea level and is located some to the west of Tbilisi. The settlement of ''Abasha'' acqui ...

. At an altitude of 240 meters. It is 8 kilometers to

from Gachedili and 48 kilometers to

Senaki Senaki ( ka, სენაკი; xmf, სანაკი) is a town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is located at around between the rivers Tekhura/i and Tsivi, at an elevation of 28–38 meters above sea level. Senaki is ...

. According to the data of 2014, 427 people live in the village. Gachedili is under Chkondidi Diocese.

Canyon

Gachedili's Canyon is located on the river Abasha. Canyon's 2400 m. long and - 20–40 m. deep. In the middle of Canyon there is a 12 m high waterfall. Canyon is known for fossilized bones of animals, which lived 75 million years ago, and it makes the canyon the world's third discovery, in which the remains of prehistoric animals were found. This discovery was made in July 2010, by

Ilia State University Ilia State University ISU ( Georgian: ილიას სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი) was founded in 2006 as a result of a merger of six different academic institutions with long and varied histories. Current ...

International Institute of Earth Sciences with the help of graduate students. In August

organized Field Research Expedition in which

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of foss ...

s Vyacheslav Chkhikvadze and Vasil Gabunia took part. After the expedition it was announced that dinosaur footprints were found in the gorge of the Abasha river . On October 4, 2010 Gachedili Canyon was declared protected area. In 2011 Ilia state university organized a number of re-exploration expeditions. In some caves oldest human remains - bones and crumbs were found. In addition, they found the bones of extinct species of animals, including a cave bear and a bison. One of the participants of the expeditions Vasil Gabunia says that discovered footprints look like dinosaur's, although he admits that it is difficult to say confidently, until they make research of the discovered material.

References

{{Reflist Populated places in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti