Geographical term (trans = beyond) or historical landscape for the area south of the 1,500 km long Caucasus mountain range, which forms a land bridge between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea and is of great importance for the transport of goods from China and Central Asia to Europe. The area includes the former USSR states of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia as well as neighbouring parts of Turkey that once belonged to ancient Armenia. This area in Asia is considered together with the neighbouring Mesopotamia to the south (today most of it belongs to Iraq, smaller parts in the north and north-west belong to Armenia, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey). The two huge areas of Mesopotamia and Transcaucasia overlap to some extent. According to the latest research, one of the origins may also have been in neighbouring south-eastern Anatolia in Turkey. This is near Mount Ararat, where, according to the Bible, Noah landed and became the first winegrower. The Romans called the area the "end of the world".
In the fertile foothills of this mountain range, the first wild vines may have been primitively selected and wine-like drinks produced by humans as early as the Stone Age, between 6,000 and perhaps 8,000 years ago. This is proven by grape seeds and artefacts found in Georgia and Turkey that were examined using the radiocarbon method (C-14). In ancient times, the region was ruled by the Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs. The conquest by the Russians was completed around 1864. These countries had a strong influence on viticulture. Some ancient winemaking techniques are still in use (especially in Georgia). See also under Ancient wines, Ancient grape varieties and Grape variety.
Map: by Goran tek-en - Own work, Based on Mesopotamia Syria, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
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