Lapis lazuli was mined where during the 7th milennium BC?
Lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli ( , ), or lapis for short, is a deep blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, in Shortugai, and in other mines in Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan. Lapis was highly valued by the Indus Valley Civilisation (3300–1900 BC). Lapis beads have been found at Neolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and even as far from Afghanistan as Mauritania. It was used in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun (1341–1323 BC).
Merisi Mining District The Merisi Mining District is situated in Adjara region in close vicinity to the Georgian-Turkish border. It is the part of Lesser Caucasus which occurs in the hinterland of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone, in the broad Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. Area of the mining district is about 180 km.