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  • Vani A075

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The archaeological site of Vani lies in the northern foothills of the lower Caucasus at the edge of the Phasis River plain, approximately 35 km southwest of Kutaisi and 4 km due south of the present-day course of the river. The site as excavated occupies a steep-sided hillock overlooking the left (west) bank of the Sulori River, a tributary of the Phasis. The hillock rises at its highest point to an elevation of 167 m asl, about 120 m above the plain below. As defined by its late Hellenistic fortification walls, the site occupies an area of approximately 6 ha, spread over three terraces (known as the Lower, Middle, and Upper Terraces). The site has been very extensively explored, but approximately 4 ha or two-thirds of the fortified area is still occupied by modern house plots and remains to be investigated. Vani is one of the most intensively studied archaeological sites in Colchis. Research at the site is ongoing and includes excavation and palaeoethnobotanical studies. Excavations have revealed a continuous occupation sequence extending from the 8th to the 1st centuries B.C. There is also some limited evidence for habitation in the Roman and Mediaeval periods. Especially notable are the rich and unusual graves of the Classical period (6th to 4th centuries), the monumental stone architecture of the Hellenistic period (3rd to 1st centuries), and the extensive evidence for interaction with the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds, including not only commercial and luxury imports (Greek transport amphorae, fine bronze and silver utensils from both the Greek world and Persia), but also local production of bronze sculpture and one long Greek bronze inscription. Half a century of scientific excavation has produced a detailed model of the history of the site, and generated a rich series of hypotheses about its purpose and function in different periods. One of the more enigmatic features of Vani as currently understood is the very limited evidence for residential occupation at any time. Subjects of special interest include the regional significance of Vani in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, the nature of relations between this area and the Greek world, and the history of the region in Roman times. While it is clear that Vani was an unusually large and complex site in the 1st millennium B.C., it is less certain that it exercised the kinds of administrative control over local settlement and economic control over local commerce that have sometimes been attributed to it on the model of a Greek town. The purpose of the regional survey project begun in 2009 is to address these subjects by integrating existing knowledge about Vani and its environs into the kind of technological and conceptual framework characteristic of contemporary American survey archaeology. Of particular importance is the use of Geographic information Systems (GIS) as an organizational and analytical tool, and geophysical prospection both in the immediate environs of Vani and at regional sites. In 2009 the survey project investigated an area just outside the archaeological site of Vani to the south using two methods of geophysical prospection, electrical resistivity and magnetic survey. In 2010 excavations were carried out in one of these areas, Area B (B001).
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Iron Age, Classical, Late Hellenistic, Hoard, Settlement, Sanctuary, Roman, Burial, Fortification, and Mediaeval
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological remains at Vani were known as early as the 1850s, and the first report on assemblages found at the site was produced in 1880. First formal excavations began in 1896, but lasted only a few years. Stray finds of gold jewellery were reported in 1929 and 1940. A new intensive program of survey and excavation was carried intermittently from 1936 to 1946. In 1947, the Vani Archaeological Expedition was established. It was first led by Nino Khostaria (until 1963). Otar Lordkipanidze directed the activities from 1966 until 2002, and was succeeded by Darejan Kacharava after his death in 2002. Active excavations at the site concluded in 2007. Bibliography below is not exhaustive; rather, it lists major volumes on the archaeology of Vani. For a complete list of works published until 1995, see Vani IX volume (1996)., Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1972. Vani I. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi (1947-1969) [Vani I. Archaeological excavations (1947-1969)], vol. I. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with summaries in Russian and English.), Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1976. Vani II. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani II. Archaeological excavations], vol. II. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1977. Vani III. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani III. Archaeological excavations], vol. III. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with Russian summaries.), Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1979. Vani IV. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani IV. Archaeological excavations], vol. IV. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with Russian and English summaries)., Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1981. Vani V. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani V. Archaeological excavations], vol. VI. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with Russian and English summaries)., Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1981. Vani VI. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani VI. Archaeological excavations], vol. VI. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with Russian and English summaries)., Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1983. Vani VII. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani VII. Archaeological excavations], vol. VII. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with Russian summaries)., Lordkipanidze, Otar, ed. 1986. Vani VIII. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani VIII. Archaeological excavations], vol. VIII. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with Russian summaries)., Lordkipanidze, Otar, Darejan Kacharava, and Arrian Chanturia. 1996. Vani IX. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi [Vani IX. (Archaeological excavations: Analytical bibliography: 1850-1995)]. Tbilisi. (Parallel texts in Georgian and English.), Lordkipanidze, Otar and Pierre Lévêque. Eds. 1996. Sur les traces des Argonautes. Actes du 6e symposium de Vani (Colchide) 22-29 septembre 1990, edited and translated by A. Fraysse, E. Geny and T. Khartchilava. Paris : Diffusé par les belles letters., Lordkipanidze, Otar and Pierre Lévêque. Eds.1999. La mer Noire, zone de contacts : actes du VIIe Symposium de Vani (Colchide), 26-30 IX 1994. Besançon: Presses universitaires franc-comtoises. , Lordkipanidze, Otar and Pierre Lévêque. Eds.1999. Religions du Pont-Euxin : actes du VIIIe Symposium de Vani, Colchide, 1997. Translated and edited by Arlette Fraysse et Évelyne Geny. Paris : Diffusé par Les Belles letters., Lordkipanidze, Otar. 2000. Phasis. The River and City in Colchis. Geographica Historica 15. Stuttgart: Steiner., Faudot, M., Fraysse, A. and É. Geny, eds. 2002. Pont-Euxin et commerce : la genèse de la Route de la soie : actes du IXe Symposium de Vani, Colchide, 1999. Besançon: Presses universitaires franc-comtoises., Kacharava,Darejan, Faudot, M. and E. Geny, eds. 2002. Autour de la Mer Noire: Hommage á Otar Lordkipanidze. Besançon : Presses universitaires franc-comtoises., Kacharava,Darejan, Faudot, M. and E. Geny. Eds. 2005. Pont-Euxin et Polis. Polis Hellenis et Polis Barbaron. Actes du Xe Symposium de Vani 23-26 septembre 2002: hommage à Otar Lordkipanidzé et Pierre Lévêque. Besançon: Presses universitaires Franc- Comtoises., and Kacharava, Darejan, Guram Kvirkvelia, and Jennifer Chi. 2008. Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: the Golden Graves of Ancient Vani. Princeton: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, in association with Princeton University Press.
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Phereta A059

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    There is abundant evidence for Iron Age to Hellenistic occupation on the property of the Latchqebiani family on the eastern side of the modern village of Phereta. The Latchqebiani house is located on the northern slope of a small hill oriented east-west and extending westwards from a larger chain of hills. In the yard in front of the house, members of the family have found bones as well as metal bracelets and other metal fragments. Sulkhan Kharabadze suggests that these materials probably came from one or more pit graves, since no pithos fragments were found with them. This would indicate a date in or after the 2nd-1st century B.C., when pithos burials were replaced by pit graves in this region. Substantial quantities of pottery and bones were also found in a vineyard on the southern slope of the hill, behind the house. Sergo Latchqebiani had collected many sherds, which he showed us, including a zoomorphic handle (8th-7th century B.C.), a hatched pitharion rim (6th-4th century B.C.), a body fragment from a black-glazed plate (4th century B.C.?), a Hellenistic tile fragment, various pithos and pitharion fragments, a brick (11 cm wide by 5 m thick) with an V-shaped impression, some obsidian flakes, and a stone cannon ball 12-13 cm in diameter. On the southern slope of the hill above the vineyard are located the remains of a wall, possibly part of a terrace, built of limestone, sandstone, and other materials but with no trace of mortar. The wall is preserved to a length of 3 m. Its date is uncertain.
    Keyword:
    Iron Age, Classical, Late Hellenistic, and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Chance finds from Phereta were reported in 1954. Short surveys followed in 1998 and 2005., Abramishvili, T. 1974. Sakartvelos sakhelmtsipo muzeumis p’artuli monetebis katarogi. Tbilisi. p. 101. (In Georgian.), Kharabadze, S. 2002. Bvianantikuri khanis samarkhi Peretadan. Dziebani IX. Tbilisi. pp. 81-87. (In Georgian.), 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. 37-40. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Zeda Bzvani, Meskhebisgora A053

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The agricultural fields on the southwest slope of the hill crowned by a Mediaeval fortress on the eastern edge of Zeda Bzvani (Meskhebisgora, A052) are rich in surface pottery, including Classical pithos fragments, Sinopian ware, and late Hellenistic ware.
    Keyword:
    Classical, Late Hellenistic, and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Surveys were carried out here in 1936, 1978, 1984, ans 2008. Stray finds were reported here in 1925, 1936, and 1977., Khoshtaria, N. V. 1959. Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Vani i Vanskom rayone v 1952 g. [Archaeological studies in Vani and Vani district in1952]. Masalebi sakartvelos da kavkasiis arkeologiisatvis [Materials for the archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus], vol. II. Tbilisi. pp. 150-51, pl. II, 2. (In Russian.), Lordkipanidze, O. D., R. V. Puturidze, D. D. Kacharava, V. A Tolordava, M. S. Pirtskhalava, A. M. Chqonia, N. N. Matiashvili, D. V. Akhvlediani, G. Sh. Naridze, and G. A. Inauri. 1987. Raboty Vanskoi ekspeditsii [Work of the Vani archaeological expedition]. Polevye arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v 1984-85 godakh [Field archaeological investigations in 1984-85]. Tbilisi. p. 55. (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. 21-23. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Kveda Bzvani A047

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    On the western slope of the northwestern hill investigated at Kveda Bzvani is a corn field dense with surface pottery. Sherds collected included fragments of Rhodian amphorae; miscellaneous f ragments of other unidentified imported wares; and fragments of local Colchian pottery of the Iron Age, Classical, and late Hellenistic periods.
    Keyword:
    Iron Age, Classical, Late Hellenistic, and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    A brief survey of the site was undertaken by S. Kharabadze in 2008. No further archaeological work has been conducted. and Sulkhan Kharabadze. “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’egberi, 2008.
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Sulori, Sakakile A039

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The site of Sakakile (“Place of Beads”) lies 3 km upstream of the village of Sulori, on and around a small promontory on the left bank of the river, formed by a bend in the river and oriented southwest-northeast. This low and level promontory must always have made for a convenient crossing place, and there is now a log bridge running from the right bank of the river to the downstream end of the promontory. South of the promontory is a hill oriented east west from which much of the pottery found on the promontory appears to have eroded. The region around the river crossing is divided topographically into three distinct areas: Kvabiskari (“Place of the Cave/Gorge”), located downstream of the crossing and on the right (north) bank of the river; Sakakile, located on the promontory upstream of the crossing and on the left (south) bank of the river; and Likheti, located upstream of and uphill from Sakakile. Luka Dvalishvili, a resident of Sulori and the owner of the plot of land on the promontory, found a hoard of approximately 700 coins (including a silver Croesid) at Sakakile in the 1970s. At more or less the same time, another local farmer named Generi Paikidze found a bronze axe head here as well. After these chance finds, the Vani excavation team opened up two trenches on northern slope of the hill south of the river, where it slopes down to the low, level promontory of Sakakile. The excavations revealed a mixed assemblage of ceramics eroded from the hill south of the promontory, dating from the 8th-1st century B.C. (Iron Age, Classical, and Hellenistic). The only in-situ pottery assemblage was excavated on the hilltop and dates to the 6th-4th century B.C. Northeast of the hill, in the area where the bronze axe head was supposedly found (dated to the 7th century B.C.), the cobblestone foundation of an apsidal structure was excavated, along with clay tiles and metal implements. The excavation report concludes that occupation on the site began in the 7th-6th century, while the period of most intensive development was the 5th-4th century B.C. We recorded the locations of two trenches from the previous excavations and collected pottery from the eroding northern slope of the hill that forms the southern boundary of the promontory.
    Keyword:
    Iron Age, Late Hellenistic, Hoard, Settlement, and Stray Find
    Citation to related publication:
    In 1984, a chance find of a bronze axe was reported from the area known as Sakakile. In the following year, the Vani excavation team began excavations on the northern slope of the hill south of the river. In 1990 a hoard of 607 coins was found in the village of Sulori. A brief survey of the are was conducted in 2008., Lordkipanidze, O. 1986. Argonavtika da dzveli kolkheti [Argonautics and ancient Colchis]. Tbilisi. pp. 82-83. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, O. D., R. V. Puturidze, D. D. Kacharava, V. A Tolordava, M. S. Pirtskhalava, A. M Chqonia, N. N. Matiashvili, D. V. Akhvlediani, G. Sh. Naridze, and G. A. Inauri. 1987. Raboty Vanskoi ekspeditsii [Work of the Vani archaeological expedition]. Polevye arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v 1984-85 godakh [Field archaeological investigations in 1984-85]. Tbilisi. pp. 54-55. (In Russian.), Inauri, G. 1990a. Arkheologicheskiye razvedki v s. Sulori [Archaeological explorations in the village of Sulori]. Prichernomorye v VII-V vv. do n. e. Pismennye istochniki i arkheologiya. Materialy V Mezhdunarodnogo simpoziuma po drevnei istorii Prichernomorya. Vani – 1987 [The Black Sea littoral in the 7th-5th centuries B.C. Literary sources and archaeology (Problem of authenticity). Materials of the 5th International symposium dedicated to the problems of the ancient history of the Black Sea littoral. Vani – 1987]. Tbilisi. pp. 276-279. (In Russian.), Inauri, G. 1990b. Le territoire de Vani. Un compte rendu des recherches archéologiques. 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. Centre de Recherches d’Histoire Ancienne, Vol. 100. Paris: Annales Littéraires de l’Université de Besançon. pp. 249-252. (In French.), Lébanidzé, L. 1999. Le trésor monétaire de Sulori. La Mer Noire zone de contacts. Actes du VIIe Sympsium de Vani (Colchide) – 26-30.IX.1994. Paris. p. 155-158., Lordkipanidze, Otar. 2002. Dzeli kartuli civilizaciis sataveebtan [The sources of ancient Georgian civilization]. Tbilisi. pp. 206-7. (In Georgian.), 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. 20. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities

  • Shuamta, Melashvilebisgora A033

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Melashvilebisgora or Melashvilebis Ubani is located south of the modern settlement of Shuamta and is oriented roughly north south. Pottery was noted both during previous survey work and during the present investigation over all sides of the hill, suggesting that it was the site of an extensive settlement. In particular, ploughed agricultural fields on the west slope of the hill yielded a rich assemblage of pottery, including an Early Bronze Age tubular jug and miscellaneous sherds dating from the Iron Age through the Late Hellenistic period, burnt mud plaster, fragments of flint and obsidian, a bronze bracelet, and glass fragments, including one fragment of a glass bracelet. On the east slope of the hill, large fragments of burnt mud plaster were noted together with a Colchian pan tile fragment of the Hellenistic period. In 2009 the survey project investigated the area using two methods of geophysical prospection, electrical resistivity and magnetic survey. In 2010 excavations were carried out to investigate anomalies detected by geophysical prospection. A series of four trenches revealed significant concentrations of pottery and burnt daub from wattle-and-daub structures, in three cases associated with pit features. One of these, a circular pit approximately 2 m wide and 60 cm deep is too small to have been used for habitation, and was perhaps a dugout storage feature or waste pit of some kind, partly subterranean, partly rising above grade on wattle and daub walls. Another, 1.5 m wide and at least 2.5 m long, may have belonged to a dugout house. Alternatively, these features may be quarry pits resulting from the collection of clay-rich soils appropriate for constructing the kind of wattle-and-daub structures that are found here and at sites throughout the region. These quarry pits would then have been filled with waste materials such as burnt mud plasters during the occupation of the site. With the exception of one trench that contained some debris that had apparently washed down from later habitation at a higher elevation, the small finds from these excavations were exclusively Iron Age in date, including three terracotta animal figurines.
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Iron Age, Classical, Late Hellenistic, Settlement, and Early Bronze Age
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological knowledge of Shuamta dates to the late 1970's. Formal archaeological work in the form of surveys took place in 1981 and 1986. No further work has been done in the area., Beradze, T. 1977. Vanis raionis istoriuli geograpiidan [From the historical geography of the Vani district]. Vani III. Tbilisi. pp. 238-40. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.) , Gamqrelidze, G. 1982. Tsentraluri kolkhetis dzveli namosakhlarebi [Ancient settlements of Central Colchis]. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with summaries in Russian and English.), Kacharava, D. 1983. Mokhatuli, shavlakiani da sada keramika. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 26-51, p. 29. (In Georgian.) , 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. , Kvirkvelia, G. T. 1990. Vanskii region v VII-V vv. do n. e. [The Vani Region in the 7th-5th cent. B.C.] Prichernomorye v VII-V vv. do n. e. Pismennye istochniki i arkheologiya. Materialy V Mezhdunarodnogo simpoziuma po drevnei istorii Prichernomorya. Vani – 1987 [The Black Sea littoral in the 7th-5th centuries B.C. Literary sources and archaeology (Problem of authenticity). Materials of the 5th International symposium dedicated to the problems of the ancient history of the Black Sea littoral. Vani – 1987]. Tbilisi. p. 280. (In Russian.), 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. 42-43, Plate XXXII. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Mtisdziri, Adeishvilebisgora, Geperidzeebis Namosakhlari A023

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    Adeishvilebisgora is one of four hills near the modern village of Mtisdziri that were the foci of excavations carried out in the 1970s and the location of a number of accidental finds. These hills are located southeast of the center of the modern village, which lies 10 km west of Vani on the south edge of the Phasis River valley, and rise to elevations 80-120 m above the plain. In the area of Adeishvilebisgora, we recorded three points of interest: the site of an old excavation trench in the saddle between Adeishvilebisgora and Naktsevigora (the area known as Geperidzeebis Namosakhlari; A023); the location of a previously excavated timber frame structure on the east side of the hill (A024); and the location of a previously excavated Late Roman and Mediaeval structure on top of the hill (A025). Here in the saddle between Adeishvilebisgora and Naktsevigora, an area known as Geperidzeebis Namosakhlari (A023), excavations of the 1970s revealed cultural materials, including pithos burials but no in-situ features, in nine of the ten trenches excavated (one was sterile).
    Keyword:
    Early Hellenistic, Iron Age, Classical, Late Hellenistic, and Settlement
    Citation to related publication:
    Archaeological research at Mtisdziri began with the chance discovery of a rich assemblage of objects above the west bank of the Tsabla Ghele in the area known as Nashuebi in 1952. Later chance discoveries include two pithos burials found in 1958 in the western part of the village, north of Nabambevis Gora, in the area known as Nikuradzeebis Ubani (or Samkharadzeebis Ubani), presumably of the early Hellenistic period. In 1971 and 1972, the Vani expedition team collected surface pottery. Excavations were conducted in 1973-1977., Khoshtaria, N. V. 1959. Arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v Vani i Vanskom rayone v 1952 g. [Archaeological studies in Vani and Vani district in 1952]. Masalebi sakartvelos da kavkasiis arkeologiisatvis [Materials for the archaeology of Georgia and the Caucasus], vol. II. Tbilisi. pp. 149-162, pls. I-XIX. (In Russian.) p. 149-150., 1971. Chronicles. Herald of Kutaisi Historical-Ethnographical Museum. Vol. 2. P. 135-136. (In Georgian.), Ramishvili, A., and O. Lanchava. 1973. Vanis kveqana [The “kveqana” of Vani]. Twenty-five Years of the Vani Archaeological Expedition. Summaries of the Scientific Session. Tbilisi. p. 20. (In Georgian.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1976. Mtisdzirshi napovni qants -ritoni [Horn-rhyton found in Mtisdziri]. Dzeglis megobari, N 41. Tbilisi. pp. 17-20. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1977a. Arkeologiuri gatkhrebi sop. Mtisdziris midamoebshi [Archaeological excavations in the environs of the village of Mtisdziri]. Arkeologiuri dziebani. Akhalgazrda mkvlevarta sametsniero sesiis masalebi [Archaeological investigations. Materials of the scientific sessions of young researchers]. Tbilisi. pp. 74-78. (In Georgian.), Gamqrelidze, G. A. 1977b. K izucheniyu drevnekolkhidskikh oboronitelnykh sooruzhenii [Towards the study of the ancient Colchian defensive structures]. Sakartvelos metsnirebata akademiis moambe [Bulletin of the Georgian Acad. Sci.], vol. 88, N 2. Tbilisi. pp. 501-505. (In Russian with summaries in Georgian and English.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1977c. Mtisdziris arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological monuments of Mtisdziri]. Vani III. Pp. 58-70, pls. 25-44. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1978. Vanis mtisdziris akhlad aghmochenili adreuli shuasaukuneebis nageboba [Recently discovered building in Mtisdziri of Vani of the early Middle Ages]. Matsne (Istoriis, arkeologiis, etnograpiis da khelovnebis istoriis seria) [Herald of the Academy of Sciences (Series of history, archaeology, ethnography and history of art)], N 3. Tbilisi. pp. 109-123. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1979. Drevniye poseleniya v srednem techenii reki Rioni (Mtisdziri v VII v. do n. e. – VII v. v. e.). Avtoreferat dissertatsii na soiskaniye uchenoi stepeni ckandidata istoricheskikh nauk [The ancient settlements in the middle part of the river Rioni (Mtisdziri in the 7th cent. B.C. – 7th cent. A. D.). Synopsis of thesis to defend the scientific degree of candidate of historical sciences]. Tbilisi. (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.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1982a. Adreshuasaukuneebis samshenenblo keramika adeishvilebis goridan [The early medieval pottery from the Adeishvili hill]. Arkeologiuri dziebani. Akhalgazrda mkvlevarta II da III sametsniero sesiis masalebi [Archaeological investigations. Materials of the 2nd and 3rd scientific sessions of young researchers]. Tbilisi. pp. 115-122. (In Georgian.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1982b. Tsentraluri kolkhetis dzveli namosakhlarebi [Ancient settlements of Central Colchis]. Tbilisi. (In Georgian with summaries in Russian and English.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1983a. Antikuri importi vansa am is da mis midamoebshi. Mtisdziri [Classical import in Vani and its environs. Mtisdziri]. Vani VII. Tbilisi. pp. 127-128, pl. 52. (In Georgian with a Russian summary.), Gamqrelidze, G. 1983b. Sop. Mtisdziris arkeologiuri dzeglebi [Archaeological monuments of the village of Mtisdziri]. Kartuli sabchota entsiklopedia [The Georgian Soviet Encyclopaedia], vol. 6. Tbilisi. p. 672. (In Georgian.), Gamkrelidze, G. 1990. From Colchian mythology (Ochopintre – a Pantype God). Preprinter. Tbilisi. (Summary in Russian.), 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., Gamkrelidze, G. 1992. K arkheologii doliriy doliny Phazisa (Rioni) [Towards the archaeology of the Phasis (Rioni) valley]. Tbilisi. pp. 11, 20-25, 49-100. (In Russian.), Gamkrelidze, G. 1998. Ein Rhyton mit Götterdarstellung aus der Kolchis. Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan 30. Pp. 211-16., Knauß, F. S. 1999a. “Ein silbernes Trinkhorn aus Mtisdziri. Die Kolchis zwischen Achämeniden und Griechen.” In R. F. Docter and E. M. Moormann (eds.), Proceedings of the XVth International Congress of Classical Archaeology, Amsterdam 12. – 17. July 1998. Amsterdam. p. 218-222., Knauß, F. S. 1999b. Bocksdämon und Perserin. Untersuchungen zur Ikonographie und Chronologie der späten graeco-persischen Glyptik, Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan 31. Pp. 161-189., Gamkrelidze, G. 2001. Kolkhologiuri narkvevebi [Colchological sketches]. Tbilisi. (In Georgian.), Knauss, F. 2006. “Ancient Persia and the Caucasus.” Iranica Antiqua XLI: 79-118., 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. Seqtemberi. P. 29-31. (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

  • 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.)
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