An archaeological expedition headed by Dmitry Korobov has found about two hundred ancient settlements following a uniform architectural concept on the Kabardian Ridge, in the foothills of mount Elbrus (Russia). The researchers believe these could represent the traces of an unknown civilization.
     It is interesting to note that every ancient settlement found in the area has a direct view of mount Elbrus: this could hardly be accidental. It seems that the ancient people had purposefully chosen the place to see the mountain. By approximate calculations, a population of about 25,000 could have lived in all the 160 settlements at the same time.    
     The mysterious people disappeared after 9th century BCE: apparently they left their houses in the foothills of Elbrus and went away. Scientists hope to solve at least a part of the riddles of the ancient inhabitants of the ridge. There is, for example, an assumption that dwellers of Arkaim - a big settlement that prospered behind Urals in the 3rd-2nd millennia BCE - could have reached that land.
     
Edited from Russia IC (25 January 2011)