Workers renovating major city street stumble on ancient discovery buried 20 feet below

The discovery was made amid ongoing excavations in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia in the Caucasus region, south of Russia.

The artifacts were found roughly 20 feet beneath Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi's main thoroughfare.

Pictures show archaeologists examining the intricately decorated pottery fragments, as well as centuries-old jugs and various shards.

The roadwork is part of a larger project to upgrade Rustaveli Avenue with new pedestrian crossings, improved signage and other improvements, according to Reuters.

"Tbilisi is very rich with archaeological material ... so it's very logical to find workshops of different periods," he said.

Lordkipanidze also pointed to Tbilisi's long history as a crossroads for cultures and commerce.

"Tbilisi was always multicultural," he said. 

"[It's been] a real center for the region, particularly an economic center."

Additional studies, including 3D scanning, will help researchers more precisely determine the artifacts' age.

Tbilisi was founded in the fourth century, and the region has since come under the control of various powers, including Mongols, Persians and Russians, as well as Arabs during the Middle Ages.

Reuters contributed reporting.