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  • Early Mediaeval

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Early Mediaeval activity documented by the Vani Archaeological Survey
    Keyword:
    Early Mediaeval
    2Works

  • Early Hellenistic (mid-4th-mid-3rd cent. BCE)

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Early Hellenistic activity documented by the Vani Archaeological Survey
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic
    10Works

  • Early Bronze Age

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Early Bronze Age activity documented by the Vani Archaeological Survey
    Keyword:
    Early Bronze Age
    3Works

  • Dzulukhi, Melauritsike A042

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Southeast of the modern settlement of Dzulukhi lies a hill called Melaurisgora, oriented north-south and bounded to the west by a narrow stream called the Dzulukhura (or Dzlukhura). The hill rises to an elevation of about 450 m, 150 meters above the settlement and stream below. The top of Melaurisgora hill is crowned by the remains of a fortress called Melauritsike. We approached the hill from the northwest, walked south along the western slope, and turned back to the north to climb a series of three terraces to the top. We recorded the mortared rubble masonry remains of the fortress on each of these sequential terraces, rising from south to north. On the southwest corner of lowest terrace, we noted a heap of stones, some squared, presumably the remains of a small tower or bastion. On the western edge of the middle terrace, we recorded the roughly square foundations of another small tower, built of squared blocks set in white mortar. The tower appears to be 4.5 m across, measuring from its straight eastern wall to its apparently curving western wall. The highest and northernmost terrace occupies the top of the hill, and here we recorded the remains of a much larger round enclosure or keep with a circular turret to the east. This structure is built of mortared rubble masonry and has an interior diameter of 18-20 m (not including the attached turret). The walls of the keep are roughly 1.6 m thick, the walls of the turret somewhat narrower. and irregular in width. Three visible windows along the west side of the keep are spaced 3-4 m apart. They are 1.80 m deep, and they measure 0.50 m wide by 0.60 high, 0.40 m by 0.85 m, and 0.35 m by 0.70 m, respectively. On the west side of the keep, near the windows, a broken pithos is embedded in the ground. On the northeast side of the keep is a small vaulted chapel, still in use (the fortress itself is equipped with a wooden cross illuminated by a string of lights). From the top of the hill there is only one narrow sightline north northeast into the Phasis River valley; in all other directions only the surrounding hills are visible.
    Keyword:
    Fortification, Mediaeval, and 16th-17th century CE
    Citation to related publication:
    Chance finds were reported in 1950 and 1951. A brief survey was conducted at the location in 2008., Khoshtaria, N. V. 1959. “Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Vani i Vanskom rayone v 1952 g. [Archaeologicalstudies in Vani and Vani district in 1952].” Masalebi sakartvelos da kavkasiis arkeologiisatvis [Materials for the Archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus], vol. II. Tbilisi. p. 150. (In Russian.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveqnis” Arqeologiuri Ruka (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.) [Archaeological Map of the “Vani Region” (8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD)]. Tsardgenilia Doqtoris Akademiuri Khariskhis Mosapoveblad. Saqartvelos Teqnikuri Universiteti. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqtemberi. p. 43-44. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dzulukhi, Melaurisgora A041

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Southeast of the modern settlement of Dzulukhi lies a hill called Melaurisgora, oriented north south and bounded on the west by the narrow stream called the Dzulukhura (or Dzlukhura). The hill rises to an elevation of about 450 m, 150 meters above the settlement and stream below. We recorded and collected pottery and burnt mud plaster fragments from a cornfield and from the eroded scarps of the west slope of the hill, which we approached first, as well as from the terraces on the east slope, just below the summit. Identifiable pottery from the west slope included one possible body fragment of a Sinopian amphora, as well as Classical and early-late Mediaeval material. The pottery collected from the east slope of the hill (directly below the mediaeval fortress, A042) was all Classical. It is unclear from the surface materials whether occupation extended down the slopes of the hill, or whether these materials have washed down from a small settlement on top.
    Keyword:
    Classical, Settlement, and Mediaeval
    Citation to related publication:
    Chance finds were reported in 1950 and 1951. A brief survey was conducted at the location in 2008., Khoshtaria, N. V. 1959. “Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Vani i Vanskom rayone v 1952 g. [Archaeologicalstudies in Vani and Vani district in 1952].” Masalebi sakartvelos da kavkasiis arkeologiisatvis [Materials for the Archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus], vol. II. Tbilisi. p. 150. (In Russian.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveqnis” Arqeologiuri Ruka (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.) [Archaeological Map of the “Vani Region” (8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD)]. Tsardgenilia Doqtoris Akademiuri Khariskhis Mosapoveblad. Saqartvelos Teqnikuri Universiteti. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqtemberi. p. 43-44. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dzulukhi, Aptarauli Hill B002

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Aptarauli hill lies on the northeast edge of the modern settlement of Dzulukhi, which is located approximately 11 km southeast of Vani at 322 masl, on the banks of a tributary of the Sulori River, called the Dzulukhura (or, locally, the Dzlukhura). A scatter of pottery extends a couple of hundred meters along the edge of a series of cornfields and a hazelnut grove covering the northeast slope of a hill that rises above the left (west) bank of the Dzulukhura. Identifiable pottery includes Classical pithos fragments, as well as burnt mud plasters.
    Keyword:
    1st Millennium BCE and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Chance finds were reported in 1950 and 1951. A brief survey was conducted at the location in 2008., Khoshtaria, N. V. 1959. “Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Vani i Vanskom rayone v 1952 g. [Archaeologicalstudies in Vani and Vani district in 1952].” Masalebi sakartvelos da kavkasiis arkeologiisatvis [Materials for the Archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus], vol. II. Tbilisi. p. 150. (In Russian.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveqnis” Arqeologiuri Ruka (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.) [Archaeological Map of the “Vani Region” (8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD)]. Tsardgenilia Doqtoris Akademiuri Khariskhis Mosapoveblad. Saqartvelos Teqnikuri Universiteti. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqtemberi. p. 43-44. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dzulukhi A040

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The modern settlement Dzulukhi lies approximately 11 km southeast of Vani, on the banks of a tributary of the Sulori River, called the Dzulukhura (or, locally, the Dzlukhura). This stream flows through a valley in between the zone of low hillocks overlooking the Phasis River plain, and the beginning of the higher foothills of the Lesser Caucasus. The village is located in the Vani administrative district. Southeast and upstream of the modern village is a hill called Melaurisgora. The hill is oriented north-south and rises to an elevation of about 450 m, 150 meters above the settlement and stream below. A Mediaeval fortress known as Melauritsike crowns the top of this hill (A042), and sherd scatters on both the east and west sides of the hill attest occupation in the Classical period as well (A041). In 2009 a young man named Merab Kheladze from Dzulukhi showed us the road to the fortress on top of the hill and stayed with us for the entire trip, joining us even for a dip in the Dzulukhura. In 2010 we returned to Dzulukhi to conduct geophysical survey on Melaurisgora. At this time we documented pottery scattered across the southeast slope of Aptarauli hill (B002). Identifiable pottery included Classical pithos fragments, as well as burnt mud plasters, extending the area of known occupation from Melaurisgora down to the banks of the Dzulukhura.
    Keyword:
    Modern Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Chance finds were reported in 1950 and 1951. A brief survey was conducted at the location in 2008., Khoshtaria, N. V. 1959. “Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Vani i Vanskom rayone v 1952 g. [Archaeologicalstudies in Vani and Vani district in 1952].” Masalebi sakartvelos da kavkasiis arkeologiisatvis [Materials for the Archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus], vol. II. Tbilisi. p. 150. (In Russian.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveqnis” Arqeologiuri Ruka (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.) [Archaeological Map of the “Vani Region” (8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD)]. Tsardgenilia Doqtoris Akademiuri Khariskhis Mosapoveblad. Saqartvelos Teqnikuri Universiteti. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqtemberi. p. 43-44. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dutskhuni A071

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    According to Raphiel Kartvelishvili, the pithos burial of a child had been found on the steep slopes rising above the modern village of Dutskhuni. Pottery, possibly modern, was also reported in the area.
    Keyword:
    1st Millennium BCE and Burial
    Citation to related publication:
    No archaeological work has previously been conducted at the site.
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dikhashkho, Tsikhe on the plain B005

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The remains of a masonry tower are located 3.5 km northeast of the modern village of Dikhashkho at 50 masl, just north of the main east-west road running south of the Phasis River. The standing remains of a small rectangular or possibly hexagonal tower are situated on a small mound just east of a dirt road running north-south, and surrounded by the level river plain, which is planted with corn. Only the eastern wall of the structure is well preserved. The overall exterior dimensions of the structure are 4.7 m (on the east side) by 6.8 m (on the south side). The maximum preserved height of the structure at the southeast corner is 1.55 m. The walls of the tower are built of limestone blocks set in hard white mortar, facing a core of mortared rubble. The facing blocks are preserved on the interior side of the east wall, but not on the exterior. The facing is approximately 0.2 m deep, making the total original thickness of the walls 1.6 m. The facing blocks are approximately 0.3 m in height, 0.5 m in length, and 0.2 m in depth; the stones of the rubble fill vary from 0.2-0.4 m in length. This structure has a sightline to nearby Isriti Tsikhe on top of the hill to the southwest (A044).
    Keyword:
    Fortification and Mediaeval
    Citation to related publication:
    A brief survey was conducted at the site by S. Kharabadze in 2008. and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi, 2008.
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dikhashkho, Isriti Tsikhe A044

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The Mediaeval fortress or watchtower known as Isriti Tsikhe is located 2 km northeast of the village of Dikhashkho, just south of the main east-west road running south of the Phasis River. The fortress crowns the top of the first foothill south of the flat river plain, which rises 90 m above the plain. The tower is oblong in plan, oriented northeast by southwest. Its exterior dimensions are 9.1 m (on the northeast side) by 7.5 m (on the northwest side). Its interior length (from the southwest side to the northeast side) is 4.6 m. The walls of the tower are built of limestone slabs set in hard white mortar, facing a core of mortared rubble, including large numbers of cobblestones. Two cylindrical holes left by wooden tie beams are visible in the opposing northeast and southwest interior walls. The limestone facing is approximately 0.30 m deep; the total thickness of the walls of the tower is 1.4 m, but somewhat wider at the corners, which are square on the exterior but rounded on the interior. The southeast side appears to be pierced by a damaged gateway. One window, preserved approximately 2 m above ground level on the southeast side (east of the damaged gateway), is 0.50 m high by 0.30 m wide, and 1.7 m deep.
    Keyword:
    Fortification, Mediaeval, and 16th-17th century CE
    Citation to related publication:
    A brief survey was conducted at the site by S. Kharabadze in 2008. and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi, 2008.
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dikhashkho A045

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    In a ploughed field on the level river plain northeast of Isriti Tsikhe, we recorded a scatter of sherds and fragments of burnt mud plaster, exposed in the scarp of a modern drainage channel. It is unclear whether these remains are preserved in situ, or have been washed down from the hill to the southwest.
    Keyword:
    1st Millennium BCE and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    A brief survey was conducted at the site by S. Kharabadze in 2008. and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi, 2008.
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari, Tsqvetiligora A007

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Tsqvetiligora is the easternmost of three hills located just south of the modern village of Dapnari that formed the foci of excavations carried out from 1967 through 1973: Dapnisgora (A003, A004, A006), Chaisgora (A005), and Tsqvetiligora. Together they form a series of stepped hills oriented northwest-southeast that rise up to the south from the Phasis River plain. Tsqvetiligora or “Split/Valley Hill” is actually a saddle that extends east from Chaisgora. Excavations were carried out on the middle terrace of Tsqvetiligora and revealed a mixed layer of trash and kitchen waste, including a few fragments of Attic black-glazed pottery (5th-4th centuries), all generally dated to the 6th-4th centuries. As no traces of habitation were found in the trench, the excavator suggested that settlement was limited to the top, main part of the hill, which was not excavated due to its heavy forest cover. Along the saddle between Chaisgora and Tsqvetiligora, we identified the area where earlier excavations had uncovered pottery and burnt daub and where, to the east, a pithos burial was reportedly found (A007). Beyond Tsqvetiligora, the road turns sharply to the northeast. The owner of a farmhouse at the end of the road reported that a pithos grave was found on a hill east of his house.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Classical, Late Hellenistic, and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari, Dapnisgora A006

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The west side of the hill near Dapnisgora slopes abruptly down to a gorge. On these western slopes we were shown two sections of a wall built of small- to medium-sized limestone slabs set in white mortar. The section of wall located to the south is oriented roughly northwest-southeast and has visible dimensions of roughly 1.2 m long, 0.20 m high, and 0.45 m wide. Its stones are roughly 0.15-0.20 m long and 0.05 m high. About 3 m to the north lies the second section of wall, which is oriented roughly north south and incorporates larger limestone slabs. Only the down-slope faces of both sections of wall are visible. It is unclear whether these are terraces (without an up-slope face) or whether the up-slope face has simply been buried by erosion. The date of construction is uncertain. Farther southeast along the contours of the hillside we found pottery, including: an amphora handle; Hellenistic and Mediaeval pithos fragments; fragments of a Mediaeval pithos set in lime mortar; large fragments of burnt mud plaster in a niche in the hillside into which they may have eroded; and a stone pestle. The preserved dimensions of the stone pestle are 0.08 m radius (indicating an original diameter of 0.16 m), and 0.16 m in length with a tapered end.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Classical, Late Hellenistic, Settlement, and Mediaeval
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari, Dapnisgora A004

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The north side of the hill east of Dapnisgora is crowned by a house or rustic church marked by a large wooden cross. In this area, the hill slopes gently to the north and northeast in a series of terraces facing the Phasis River valley. On the northeastern terrace, a bronze bull figurine and an alabaster elephant figurine had reportedly been found and sold to antiquities dealers. Farther down the hill, on the northern terrace, a number of pithos graves had been unearthed. Chunks of vitrified mud plaster, possibly ancient, are strewn across the terraces above this apparent necropolis.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Classical, Late Hellenistic, Settlement, Stray Find, and Burial
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’egmberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari, Dapnisgora A003

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Dapnisgora is the westernmost of three hills located just south of the modern village of Dapnari that formed the foci of excavations carried out from 1967 through 1973: Dapnisgora, Chaisgora (A005), and Tsqvetiligora (A007). Together they form a series of stepped hills oriented northwest-southeast that rise up to the south from the Phasis River plain. Excavations on Dapnisgora were conducted on the middle terrace of the northwest slope of the hill (A003, where pottery continues to be discovered), farther to the west, and on the south slope. Evidence of settlement from the 6th to 3rd centuries B.C. was found on all three hills. Mixed cultural materials, including a curved iron knife and an iron axe, Hellenistic pottery such as a black-glazed kylix fragment (4th-3rd century B.C.), and Colchian pottery possibly as early as the 6th-4th centuries B.C., were found on the northwest slope of Dapnis Gora (Trench 1). In addition to traces of occupation spread among all three hills, pithos graves covered almost the entire hill of Dapnisgora, interred singly or in clusters, and dating to the 4th-2nd centuries. Almost all of the pithos burials were placed vertically, usually with the mouth at the bottom. The grave goods usually included between one and four clay vessels, jewelry, and sometimes coins. Rather than forming a single large cemetery of a size otherwise undocumented, these burials were more likely associated with individual homesteads situated across the hill. More recent discoveries of a significant amount of pottery, including Hellenistic roof-tiles and amphora fragments, on the southwest slopes of Dapnisgora during informal surveys by S. Kharabadze and by the Vani Regional Survey project support this interpretation. Kighuradze pictured such wattle-and-daub houses scattered widely across the hillslopes, situated some distance from each other on artificial or natural terraces and surrounded by garden-plots, a situation she compared to the modern settlement pattern of the region.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Late Hellenistic, and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari, Chaisgora A005

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Chaisgora is the middle of three hills located just south of the modern village of Dapnari that formed the foci of excavations carried out from 1967 through 1973: Dapnisgora (A003, A004, A006), Chaisgora, and Tsqvetiligora (A007). Together they form a series of stepped hills oriented northwest-southeast that rise up to the south from the Phasis River plain. Excavations on Chaisgora were carried out in the middle terrace of the north slope of the hill at a place known as “Ernali” and on the south slope of the hill on the border of a tea plantation. Traces of buildings were also found on the west slope, and portion of the hill at the east end of the modern village was explored with soundings, three of which were then integrated into one of the trenches. Evidence of settlement from the 6th-3rd centuries B.C. was found on all three hills, but only on Chaisgora were the remains of actual structures identified. Trench 1 in the “Ernali” area of the north hillslope contained burnt daub, materials the excavator identified as adobe bricks, local table- and kitchenware, and imported pottery, including a single fragment of an Attic black-glazed “salt dish” (5th-4th centuries); pieces of Chian (5th century), Thassian (5th-4th centuries), and Sinopean (4th-3rd centuries) amphorae; and a Rhodian amphora handle stamped with the priest eponym “ΚΑΡΠΟΥ”. On the south slope of the hill, in Trench 2, the excavations revealed irregular pieces of burnt daub, the charcoaled traces of slim wooden beams used as wattle, and misshapen, weakly baked materials identified as adobe bricks. These remains, which covered an area of about 12 sq m, were too fragmentary to allow the reconstruction of a building plan. Under the building remains were found a stone mill, a fragment of a stone pan, a whetstone, iron tools for such uses as leatherworking, and local table- and kitchenware, all from 5th-4th centuries. Similar building remains were also identified on the west hillslope of Chaisgora, and a rich assemblage of materials was discovered as surface finds on the east parts of the hill, including, for example, burnt daub, stone mills, and pithoi fragments. The only two burials found outside of Dapnisgora were located on Chaisgora, one on the very steep west slope and the other on the northwest slope, dating to the Hellenistic period. In the terrace of Chaisgora, the survey team recorded extensive traces of burnt mud plaster embedded in the earth as well as pottery fragments, including Sinopian amphorae. The terrace takes its name from numerous tea bushes planted here in the Soviet period.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Late Hellenistic, Settlement, Classical , and Burial
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’egmberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari A013

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Rapho Jashi, who lives in a house just south of the main east-west road and east of the junction between this road and the road running north to Samtredia, showed us pithos fragments, teeth, and a small clay jug from four pithos burials he unearthed in the area around his house. The jug is Colchian and from the Hellenistic period. It has one double-rolled handle and is decorated with two sets of incised grooved rings, one at the base of the neck and the other at the base of the shoulder. The grooved rings, neck, and a band on the widest part of the belly are painted red. The vessel has a concave ring foot. The fabric is tannish-red in color. Preserved dimensions: H., 0.15 m., Diam. of neck, 0.023 m., Diam. of body, 0.14 m., Diam. of base, 0.08 m.
    Keyword:
    Hellenistic and Burial
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari A008

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    On a low terrace near the bottom of the gorge west of Dapnisgora lie the remains of a square structure solidly built of mortared rubble set in hard white mortar. The walls of the structure are approximately 1 m thick, and each side is approximately 7 m long. Possible cover-tiles, probably not ancient, were found at the northeastern corner of the structure. The surrounding area is covered with many fallen chunks of masonry. The structure appears to be either a small chapel, possibly with a vaulted roof, or a tower.
    Keyword:
    Church and Mediaeval
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dapnari A002

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The modern village of Dapnari lies 16 km west of Vani at the junction between the main east-west road south of the Phasis River and a branch road running north to a bridge across the Phasis and beyond that to the town Samtredia. The houses of the village extend southward from the valley floor to the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus. It is located in the Samtredia administrative district. Our survey focused on a hill oriented northwest-southeast and located to the southeast of the road junction. The hill rises 200 m above the river plain. An extensive necropolis and associated occupational layers of the 6th-4th centuries B.C. were excavated in this area in the 1960s-70s (Kiguradze 1976). We designated six areas on this hill as points of interest: a terrace on the west side of the hill known as Dapnisgora (”Laurel Hill”), together with the hillslope below it (A003); an open meadow near the top of the hill, where a number of pithos graves were excavated in the 1970s, and where local cowherds reported finding bronze and ivory figurines (A004); a terrace on the south side of the hill known as Chaisgora (”Tea Hill”) (A005); an area on the slopes below Chaisgora where a limestone terrace wall is visible (A006); another terrace in a saddle on the east side of the hill known as Tsqvetiligora (A007); and a limestone structure, possibly a church, in the valley west of the hill (A008). In addition, the owner of a house on the main road at the east edge of the village reported finding four pithos burials on his property, and showed us a number of remains from these graves (A013).
    Keyword:
    Modern Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Dapnari began with excavations by the Dapnari team of the Vani Expedition between 1967 and 1973 on all three hills. A short survey was conducted in 2008., Kighuradze, N. 1967. Dapnaris samarovani [The Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutis aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the young scholars and post-graduates of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. pp. 24-26. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1969. Dapnaris samarovani, 1967-1968 tsts. kampaniis dziritadi shedegebi [The Dapnari necropolis, the main results of the 1967-1968 campaigns]. XVIII sametsniero sesia, midzghvnili Sakartveloshi 1968 tsels tsarmoebuli savelearkeologiuri kvleva-dziebis shedegebisadmi, mokle angarishebi [The 18th scientific sessions, dedicated to the results of the field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1967-1968, Short reports]. Tbilisi. p. 21. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Mdzivebi dapnaris samarovnidan [Beads from the Dapnari necropolis]. Istoriis institutes aspirantta da akhalgazrda metsnier mushakta sametsniero konperentsia, tezisebi [Scientific conference of the post-graduates and young scholars of the Institute of History, Abstracts]. Tbilisi. p. 15. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1970. Monetebi Dapnaris samarovnidan [Coins from the Dapnari necropolis]. Dzeglis megobari, N 23. Tbilisi. pp. 15-19. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1970. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1969 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1969]. Moscow. p. 365. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Ant’ik’uri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 22-28., Kighuradze, N. 1971a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dapnarshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological excavations in Dapnari in 1969]. Arkeologiuri kvlevadzieba Sakartveloshi 1969 tsels [Archaeological investigations in Georgia in 1969]. Tbilisi. pp. 68-72. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971b. Dapnarshi shemtkhvevit aghmochenili arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological relics discovered accidentally in Dapnari]. Saistorio moambe [Bulletin of History]. Tbilisi. pp. 347-369. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1971c. Dapnarskii nekropol [The Dapnari necropolis]. Vsesoyuznaya nauchnaya sessia, posvyashchennaya itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh i etnograficheskikh issledovanii v SSSR v 1970 godu [The All-Union scientific session devoted to the results of the archaeological and ethnographic studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. p. 184. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1971d. Sopel dapnaris kvevrsamarkhi [The pithos burial in the village of Dapnari]. Dzeglis megobari, N 27-28. Tbilisi. pp. 57-61. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, G. A., and N. Sh. Kighuradze. 1971. Raskopki Dapnarskogo selishcha [Excavations of the Dapnari settlement]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1970 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1970]. – Moscow. pp. 380-381. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh. 1972. K istorii naseleniya tsentralnoi Kolkhidy v antichnuyu epokhu. Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni kandidata istoricheskikh nauk [Towards the history of the population of central Colchis in the Classical period. Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1972. Itogi issledovaniya Dapnarskogo selishcha [Results of the study of the Dapnari settlement site]. Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1971 goda [Archaeological discoveries in 1971]. Moscow. p. 469. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1973. Dapnaris nasoplari da samarovani [Dapnari settlement and necropolis]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 25-27. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1976. Dapnarskii mogilnik [The Dapnari necropolis]. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., and G. A. Lordkipanidze. 1977. Dapnarskoye selishche I mogilnik (K probleme selskikh poselenii Kolkhidy) [The Dapnari settlement site and necropolis (Towards the problem of village-type settlements in Colchis)]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 55-64. (In Russian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978a. Dapnari. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. p. 401. (In Georgian.), Kighuradze, N. 1978b. Kolkhuri sopeli antikur khanashi [Colchian village in the Classical times]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 56, 58-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kighuradze, N. Sh., 1980. Kolkhskoe selo v ellinisticheskuyu epokhu [Colchian village in the Hellenistic period]. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium po problemam ellimisticheskoi kultury na Vostoke. Mai, 1980 g. Tezisy dokladov [The All-Union symposium on problems of the Hellenistic culture in the East, May of 1980. Abstracts of papers]. Yerevan. pp. 38-39. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dapnari [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dapnari]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 136-138, pls. 60-62. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’egmberi. p. 17-18. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Dablagomi, Natsikhvarigora A019

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Natsikhvarigora is one of the three hills located just south of the modern village of Dablagomi that were the foci of large-scale excavations in 1936 and again from 1970-1974 that revealed a long history of ancient occupation at Dablagomi, extending from the Early Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period (3rd millennium to 2nd century B.C.). It is situated between two streams, the Tetri Ghele on the west and the Shavi Ghele on the east. The Tetri Ghele separate Natsikhvarigora from Nasakirevigora (A014) to the northwest. The excavations concentrated on the top and on the west, north, and east slopes of the hill. Early Bronze Age materials (Kuro-Arax pottery, burnt daub, stone implements) were found on the top of the hill only, in addition to pottery from the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, and Early Hellenistic period. The excavations revealed a rich body of evidence for occupation across the hillslopes in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age (burnt daub, Colchian pottery, bronze tools) and in the Classical and Hellenistic period (pithos burials, burnt daub, Colchian and imported pottery). The pithos burials of the Classical period were found in groups apparently arranged on family plots near households rather than in distinct cemeteries. The the most prominent discovery was a rich grave of the beginning of the 3rd century B.C., set in a large wooden structure and covered with Sinopean tiles, found on the west slope of Natsikhvarigora. The grave was constructed of wooden planks joined by large iron nails lining a north-south oriented pit cut into the rocky ground. A roof made of six rows of flat, overlapping tiles with rounded cover tiles, three tiles per row, covered most of the grave: the grave itself was 3.5 x 1.6 m, while the tiles covered an area of only 3 x 1.6 m. The tiles were found 0.6-0.8 m below ground surface, and 4th-century pithos burials were discovered nearby. As is common for the region, human remains were not preserved. The burial goods, arranged around the body along the edges of the pit, included gold jewels, bronze and silver wares, iron weapons, imported and local pottery, glass paste and stone beads, and pendants. Our visit was limited to the east side of the hill, where we observed numerous Classical and early Hellenistic period pithos fragments (some with braided and grooved patterning), fragments of unidentified imported ware, lithics, and burnt mud plaster.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Iron Age, Late Bronze Age, Late Hellenistic, Settlement, Early Bronze Age, Burial, and Classical
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological investigation at Dablagomi began after the chance discovery of rich burial goods in the garden of a village house in 1929. Small scale excavations and survey took place in the area in 1933. Natsikhvari Gora, Nasakirevi Gora, and Nasaqdrevi Gora were the foci of large-scale excavations in 1936 and again from 1970-1974., Makalatia, S. 1940. Arkheologicheskiye raskopki v sel. Dablagomi i Aghaiani [Archaeological excavations in Dablagomi and Aghaiani]. SA, 5. pp. 264-271. (In Russian.), Khoshtaria, N. 1941. Drevnee poselenie v Dablagomi [The ancient settlement in Dablagomi]. Manuscript of dissertation. Tbilisi. (In Russian.), Makalatia, S. 1941. Arkeologiuri aghmochenebi sakobinaoshi, dablagomshi da aghaianshi [Archaeological discoveries in Sakobinao, Dablagomi, and Aghaiani]. Sakartvelos sakhelmtsipo muzeumis moambe, XI-B [Bulletin of the Janashia State Museum of Georgia, vol. XI-B]. Tbilisi. pp. 84-86. (In Georgian.), Kuftin, B. A. 1950. Materialy k arkheologii Kolkhidy [Materials for the archaeology of Colchis], vol. II. Tbilisi. pp. 1-82. (In Russian.), Jikia, L. 1971. Antikuri khanis masalebi kutaisis muzeumshi. Kiemm, II. pp. 26-27. (In Georgian.), Tolordava, V. A. 1971. Arkheologicheskiye raskopki v Dablagomi v 1970 godu [Archaeological excavations in Dablagomi in 1970]. Tezisy dokladov, posvyashchennykh itogam polevykh arkheologicheskikh issledovanii v 1970 g. v SSSR [Abstracts of the papers devoted to the results of the field-archaeological studies in the USSR in 1970]. Tbilisi. pp. 183-184. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1973. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi dablagomshi [Archaeological excavations in Dablagomi]. Savele arkeologiuri kvlevedzieba sakartveloshi 1972 tsels [Field-archaeological studies in Georgia in 1972]. Tbilisi. pp. 69-73. (In Georgian.), Tolordava, V. 1973. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dablagomshi [Archaeological excavations in Dablagomi]. Vanis arkeologiuri expeditsiis 25 tseli (1947-1972), sametsniero sesiis tezisebi da bibliograpia, 27-28 tebervali 1973 tseli [The 25th anniversary of the Vani archaeological expedition (1947-1972), Abstracts of the scientific session and bibliography, the 27-28th of February, 1973]. Tbilisi. pp. 23-25. (Parallel texts in Georgian and Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1976a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dablagomshi 1970-1971 tsts. [Archaeological excavations in Dablagomi in 1970-1971]. Vani II. Tbilisi. pp. 48-67. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1976b. Mdidruli samarkhi Dablagomidan [The rich grave from Dablagomi]. Vani II. Tbilisi. pp. 68-78. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1977a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi Dablagomshi [Archaeological excavations in Dablagomi]. Vani III. Tbilisi. pp. 71-81, figs. 45-64. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. 1977b. Pogrebeniye s cherepichnym perekrytiyem iz Dablagomi [Burial with a tile roofing from Dabalgomi]. Kratkiye soobshcheniya Instituta arkheologii, 151. Moscow. pp. 48-54. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1977c. Sépulture au toit de tuile de Dablagomi. Ouvrages de I’Institut d’archéologie 151: 48. (In French.), Tolordava, V., and G. Pkhakadze. 1978. Dablagomi. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopaedia], vol. 3. Tbilisi. pp. 325-326. (In Georgian.), Pkhakadze, G. 1978. Mtkvar-araksis da dasavlet sakartvelos adrebrinjaos khanis kulturebis zogierti shekhvedra dasavlet sakartvelos teritoriaze [Some contacts of Kura-Araxes culture with the West-Georgian culture of the Early Bronze Age on the territory of western Georgia]. Sakartvelos arkeologiis sakitkhebi [Questions of the archaeology of Georgia], vol. I. Tbilisi. pp. 3-12, 57. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. A. 1980. Dakrdzalvis tsesebi elinisturi khanis sakartveloshi [The burial rites in Georgia of the Hellenistic period.] Tbilisi. pp. 6-23, pls. II-XVIII. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Tolordava, V. A. 1982. Innovatsii v pogrebalnykh obryadakh Kolkhidy elinisticheskogo vremeni [Innovations in the burial customs of Colchis in the Hellenistic period]. Materialy III Vsesoyuznogo simpoziuma po drevnei istorii Prichernomorya na temy: Ellinizm i Prichernomorye. Tskhaltubo, 21-27. V. 1982 g. Tezisy dokladov i soobshchenii [Materials of the 3rd All-Union symposium on the ancient history of the Black Sea littoral on the theme: “Hellenism and the Black Sea littoral.” Tsqaltubo, 21-27. V. 1982. Abstracts of reports and communications]. Tbilisi. pp. 126-127. (In Russian.), Tolordava, V. 1983. Antikuri importi vansa da mis midamoebshi. Dablagomi [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Dablagomi]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 129-135, pls. 53-59. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Licheli, V. 1987. Dablagomuri asonishnebi [The Dablagomi letter-signs]. Matsne (Istoriis, arkeologiis, etnograpiis da khelovnebis istoriis seria) [Herald of the Academy of Sciences (Series of history, archaeology, ethnography and history of art)], N 4. Tbilisi. pp. 30-44. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Kvirkvelia, G. 1990. La Région de Vani aux VIIIème – Vème Siècles. In Le Pont-Euxin Vu Par les Grecs, Sources Écrites et Archéologique, Symposium de Vani (Colchide), Septembre-Octobre 1987, Otar Lordkipanidze et Pierre Lévêque, ed. Tea Khartchilava et Evelyne Geny, pp. 253-56. Centre de Recherches d’Histoire Ancienne, Vol. 100. Paris: Annales Littéraires de l’Université de Besançon., Pkhakadze, G. 1993. Dasavleti amierkavkasia dzveli tseltaghritskhvis III atastsleulshi. Tbilisi. pp. 53-59. (In Georgian.), Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveqnis” Arqeologiuri Ruka (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.) [Archaeological Map of the “Vani Region” (8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD)]. Tsardgenilia Doqtoris Akademiuri Khariskhis Mosapoveblad. Saqartvelos Teqnikuri Universiteti. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqtemberi. p. 14-17. (In Georgian with an English summary.), and Golenko, K. V., and D. G. Kapanadze. 1966. “Four Hoards of Colchian Coins.” Numismatica and Epigraphica 6: 31-73, p. 35. (In Russian)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities