This paper aims to make public some preliminary materials about a newly discovered small cave complex that was explored by the Gareja Studies Center in late 2003. The complex is situated in the western section of the Gareja desert, in the upper part of the southern slope of a mount known as the Berta Mta (Monks Mount). Once a rocky slope packed with a one-tier row of caves, now has reserved just a small church, remains of several cells, the section of a cell-linking corridor system and some vertical wells with major caves at the lower edge.

With its scale, planning and architectural design, the Berta Mta cave complex belongs to a type of skete or isichastirion (in Georgian samkholoo or sokhasteri). Obviously, like some other cave complexes in the Gareja desert (Tetri Udabno, Shavi Senakebi, Chichkhituri, VerangarejaBerebis Seri, Patara Kvabebi, Kotsakhura, etc.), the Berta Mta complex was also designed to accommodate just a few number of monks.

As to the presumable dating of the cave complex, remarkable is in this regard the architectural design, as well as some peculiarities typical of the Eastern Christian monasticism which are also characteristic of the early stage of the history (not later than 8^th-9^th centuries) of the Gareja desert. One has to take into account the existence of cave-edged vertical wells in the Berta Mta complex. This must have been associated with certain special features of desert monasticism. As far as the Early Middle Ages are concerned, the tradition of living in well-style cave could be regarded as one of such special features. Especially as, in Georgia, such a tradition dates back to the times of the Syrian Fathers (St. Shio Mghvimeli lived in a well-style cave). The picture of monastic life in Gareja, which could be restored based on some survived monuments and written sources, makes it possible to assume that along with other forms of asceticism, life in well-style cave was another common lifestyle of local monks. At the same time, one can not exclude the possibility of such wells being used as a hiding place. That such a practice was quite common can be observed in local documents and inscriptions.