The map below shows the distribution of LBA and IA period cultures around Caucasus. We have enough ancient DNA from Lchashen-Metsamor culture in Republic of Armenia to compare them with other sites.
In Georgian literature this culture is known as Lchashen-Tsitelgori and as You can see on the map it is stretched quite north reaching Greater Caucasus range. But it was obvious from the start that not all sites labeled as Lchashen-Tsitelgori will yield the same genetic profile as in Republic of Armenia.
Some Georgian archaeologists defined another name for this period calling it Samtavro culture. It seems this was a correct path because it's now evident that Lchashen-Tsitelgori generic name hides two distinct populations. An LBA sample from Doghlauri site (known as Lchashen-Tsitelgori site) in Central Eastern Georgia near Kur river do not have steppe ancestry and is more western shifted compared to the Kur-Araxian period sample from the same site. The Kura-Araxes sample from Doghlauri is J2-M92.
While most samples from Republic of Armenia Lchashen-Metsamor related sites do have steppe ancestry. Without much doubt they were speaking an IE language affiliated to Armenian while the other population in Georgia which has no steppe ancestry is in most likelihood related to Samtavro horizon.
What language was speaking those Samtavro people is hard to say. Either a Kartvelian in this case it would be proto-Georgian or proto-Iberian. Either a language that descend directly from Kur-Araxian culture. But this latter is unlikely.
We have also samples from Kakhetia in Eastern Georgia close to Alazani - Kur river junction from sites Didnauri and Nazarlebi. They are very similar to those samples we have from Lchashen-Metsamor culture and they have R1b and possibly I2. Based on that we can deduce that the Khojaly Gadabay culture which was present in historic Utik' and Artsakh provinces might be related to Lchashen culture also. Moreover, the structure of I2 permits to say that Lchashen culture expanded from modern Republic of Armenia to east playing a role in the formation of Khojaly Gadabay culture. This is consistent what Laneri 2020 was thinking about that culture. What language was speaking this Khojaly-Gadabay culture is hard to say.
Finally, we come to Caucasian Albania puzzle. A sample from Iron Age Shamakhi in Azerbaijan is ideal to have a clue about Albanians (Aluank'). This sample do have steppe ancestry like most representatives of Dagestani family. But it is shifted to Caucasian foragers (east). More important its Y DNA is J1-Z1842 which is the predominant haplogroup in Dagestani speakers. This is extra evidence that Nakh-Daghestani people descend from Kur-Araxian culture. Keeping in mind that we speak here only about the northeastern parts of Kur-Araxian Culture and not the whole horizon.
Where exactly formed the Lezgic group prominent in Albania is hard to say. If we follow Nichols classification, then Lezgic group might have initially formed in the north in Dagestan and later moved back to southern slopes of Greater Caucasus. If we follow Schulze's linguistic classification which consider Lezgic an early split, then it could have formed in situ directly from Kur-Araxian culture in southern slopes which were not affected by steppic Kurganic cultures. More data will clarify this, but I am inclined to believe that they came from mountainous Dagestan in north otherwise Lezgic group people including the Udi wouldn't have such a high level of Steppe ancestry.
And finally, I want to say few words about the possibility that Lchashen (Etiuni) had a Lezgic speakers. Well from dozens and dozens Y DNA we have from Lchashen only 1 is J1-Z1842! This outcome does not leave any place for any speculation about the identity of Etiuni. They were IE without doubt. Lezgic speakers should be searched in cultures like Kaiakent-Chorochoi and Yaloilutepe in northern parts of Azerbaijan.
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