National heritage Club “Temple” carried out its program “Knights” on Manavi Fortress in 2006. The program foresaw pre-restoration works:
         

            1. Cleaning the territory off tress and bushes;
            2. Ground cleaning works with archeologist supervision;
            3. Conservative and partly restoration works.

    In 2006 the territory of fortress was cleaned of bushes and trees by the group of hard working-student.

    In 2007 the cleaning works has begun. The entrance porch in the down fortress, from the North side was found. The South – West fortress was cleaned of stones and ground till the foundation. Also, two water pools located in its North part underground were cleaned. Its walls and dome already ruined are made of stone and the floor is made of lime. Nothing is left from the east wall, though we managed to find the underground part of this wall. Two fragments were fixed in unmoving position. They’re the rest of the wall foundation. We had real picture about thickeness and direction of the wall.

    The group of the students carried out hard works in the South – east part of the fortress. Baker was found there. It was located on a huge place (30m²). Several thons and ceramic materials found, I want to mention glazing ceramic among them. The fortress foundation was the down level of thons functioning. According to the glazing ceramic, two living levels can be isolated from the upper layer (over the foundation) glazing ceramic of the down level is of higher quality. This level can’t be seen under the foundation.

    We continued the works in deep places till unmovable ground layers were met. We discovered that the fortress was built on cultural layer-its thickness was about 2 meters. According the found ceramic, it was clear, we had two layers: medieval and late antique.

    I want to mention the fragments of brick from the late antique layer. One fragment had print of 20 centimeters. This discovery showed us, Manavi hill was strategically important in any time of history of Georgia. We could think that fortress system existed here in late antique era. While looking for the east wall we found brick in its northeast part. The fragment of red painted tiles of antique era was discovered in the south.

    The greatest discovery of 2007 on Manavi Fortress was the estimation of its existence as a fortress in late antique era (III-IVc.).

    The conservation work began on Manavi Fortress in 2007 as soon as the works were over. The bakery was covered, foundation was strengthening from inside part and the walls of the fortress were built.

    We hope the works on Manavi Fortress will go on in future and we’ll be the witnesses of many good discoveries.
                                                                                                         Elguja Gligvashvili
                                                                                                         Giorgi Manjgaladze