PC: A Kuro-Araxian civilization

[NKVD]

Not long ago I brought up the idea, in a thread about alternate cradles of civilization, of a civilization contemporary to Sumeria and Egypt developing along the Kura in Georgia and Azerbaijan, perhaps with the Arax river being the Euphrates to the Kura's Tigris. I'd imagine the civilization would be centered in the east, in modern-day Azerbaijan.

How plausible is this, with any POD after the end of the last glacial maximum?

 

[Oracle of Sobek 𓆋]

This kinda happened in OTL...

All it might take is a few minor political PoD's to make the culture in the region develop into a more urban, literate civilization on the contemporary models of Mesopotamia.

 

[Herzen's love-child]

This kinda happened in OTL...

All it might take is a few minor political PoD's to make the culture in the region develop into a more urban, literate civilization on the contemporary models of Mesopotamia.

I was going to bring up the OTL you linked to. It is interesting that OTL, more ongoing settlement and development of a distinct civilization took place westwards in Colchis and the Armenian highlands than in the Kura watershed. Lots of pastoralism not so much settled agriculture. Why was this, I wonder? Was there not sufficient flooding to deposit new soils a la the Euphrates/Tigris? Was it particularly susceptible to invasion or raids by migrating peoples? Or was it a mere fluke of history that this area did not develop into its own distinct place in history as a civilization?