Two Cemeteries at Takhtidziri (Georgia)

Late Achaemenid–Early Hellenistic and Late Hellenistic–Early Roman

Edited by Iulon Gagoshidze, Michael Vickers, Darejan Kacharava, David Gagoshidze

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This book publishes excavations at two cemeteries located near to the village of Takhtidziri in Shida Kartli, the central region of Georgia. The grave goods recovered are diverse and suggest that the kingdom of Kartli (Caucasian Iberia) was involved in international trade and economic relations in the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman period.

Contents
About the Author
Reviews

Introduction – Iulon Gagoshidze ;

1. The History of Archaeological Excavations of Takhtidziri Cemeteries – Iulon Gagoshidze ;

2. The Late Achaemenid-Early Hellenistic Period Cemetery ;
2.1 Introduction (Iulon Gagoshidze) ;
2.2 The Structure of Graves and Burial Practice (Iulon Gagoshidze) ;
2.3 Grave Goods (Iulon Gagoshidze) ;
2.4 Conclusion (Iulon Gagoshidze) ;
2.5 Catalogue (Iulon Gagoshidze, Nana Gogiberidze) ;

3. The Late Hellenistic - Early Roman period Cemetery – David Gagoshidze ;
3.1 Introduction ;
3.2 The Structure of Graves and Burial Practice ;
3.3 Conclusion ;
3.4 Description of Burials and Grave Goods ;

4. Technical Investigation of Metal Artifacts Discovered at Takhtidziri – Nino Kalandadze, Nino Kebuladze ;
4.1 Research Methodology ;
4.2 Outcomes of Research ;
4.3 Conclusion ;

References

About the Author

Iulon Gagoshidze is a consultant at the Georgian National Museum and an Academician of the Gelati Academy of Sciences. He was director of several archaeological expeditions in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Israel and Cyprus. His research centres on the archaeology of the Achaemenid, Hellenistic and Roman periods. He is the author of ten monographs and over 300 articles.

Michael Vickers is Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at the University of Oxford, an Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, and former Curator of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum. He was co-director of the joint British-Georgian Pichvnari Expedition 1998–2010 and co-director of the survey and partial excavation of the Roman circus at Leptis Magna in 1974.

Darejan Kacharava is Deputy Director of the Georgia National Museum and Director of the Vani Archaeological Expedition (Georgia). She is the author of over 60 articles about classical archaeology. She was previously Lecturer at the University of Georgia.

David Gagoshidze is an invited lecturer at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and assistant curator at the Georgian National Museum. He is Head of the Dedoplis Gora Archaeological Expedition (Georgia).

Reviews

'Translator N. Gabunia is to be congratulated for producing a clear and idiomatic English text, assisted by Michael Vickers, who is credited with proof-reading the whole, which is remarkably free of errors. The photography is first-rate and beautifully reproduced, and the scholarship impeccable. Iulon Gagoshidze and the team he assembled not only saved the site, but in this English edition they have provided western readers with an inviting pathway into the world of Georgian archaeology.' – Susan Rotroff (2023): Bryn Mawr Classical Review

‘This is a fascinating overview of the archaeological investigation and analysis of the cemeteries at Takhtidziri, and it is wonderful to see work such as this becoming available outside Georgia. It is hugely important for Western scholars studying this period, who might be unfamiliar with the current evidence from Georgia, to be able to access it.’ – Paul Everill (2024): Ancient West and East Volume 23

'Zusammenfassend lasst sich sagen, dass der hier vorliegende Band sehr gelungen ist und einen wichtigen Einstiegspunkt in die wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung mit Bestattungsriten und der materiellen Kultur Georgiens vom 4. Jh. v. Chr. bis ins 1. Jh. n. Chr. liefert. … Sehr ausfuhrlich werden die einzelnen Objekte in den jeweiligen Kontexten vorgestellt und kulturhistorisch eingeordnet. Abgesehen von offenen Fragen hinsichtlich der Feinchronologie und dem Eindruck, dass man sich zu sehr in den Grenzen des modernen Georgiens nach vergleichbaren Funden und Befunden umgesehen, … ist der groste Kritikpunkt sicherlich der, das anthropologische und naturwissenschaftliche Analysen zu den Knochenfunden ausblieben. Aber vielleicht ergibt sich hier in Zukunft noch die Moglichkeit einer Nachuntersuchung. Die Materialvorlage mit der zugehorigen archaologisch-historischen Einordnung ist in jedem Falle gelungen.‘ [translated] ‘In summary, this volume is a great success and provides an important entry point into the scholarly examination of burial rites and the material culture of Georgia from the 4th century BCE to the 1st century CE. … The individual objects are presented in great detail within their respective contexts and are culturally and historically interpreted. Aside from open questions regarding fine chronology and the impression that the search for comparable finds and features was too narrowly confined to the borders of modern Georgia, … the main criticism is certainly the absence of anthropological and scientific analyses of the skeletal remains. However, there may still be an opportunity for follow-up studies in the future. In any case, the presentation of the material and its associated archaeological and historical interpretation is a success.’ - Torben Schreiber (2025): GNOMON 97

Publishing Scholarly Archaeology since 1997

Publishing Scholarly Archaeology since 1997

Two Cemeteries at Takhtidziri (Georgia)

Late Achaemenid–Early Hellenistic and Late Hellenistic–Early Roman

Contents

About the Author

Reviews