To visit Dmanisi, one of the most important sites in the story of human evolution, head south and then west from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, along a narrow highway crowded with delivery trucks. After an hour, turn onto a road that runs through ever-smaller villages. There, sheep clog the way, ignoring the shepherds, who cross the pavement back and forth on horseback. The road narrows again and sinks into a ravine, following the twisting course of the Mashavera River through thick forest and shadow. Feral dogs lounge along the…
