Bragvadze Z. Sairkhe’s Skeptukhia

Zurab Bragvadze Georgian National Museum (Georgia, Tbilisi)

Sairkhe’s Skeptukhia

Summary

In the scientific literature, it is noted that immediately after the formation of the Kingdom of Colchis appears the administrative units, sceptukhiae. The formation of sceptukhiae itself led to the development of these administrative centers. These centers united the certain parts of the land around, which were politically and economically dependent on them. The main centers of sceptukhiae had a leading role in the country’s internal political management, as well as in foreign trade relations. Based on archaeological finds, it can be assumed that the centers of each sceptukhia were the religious and import distribution centers too (Vani, Sairkhe). So, in my opinion, there are several reasons to consider that during the 5th-4th centuries B.C. Sairkhe was the center of one of the administrative units (sceptukhia) of the Colchian kingdom and the main center for the distribution of imports in the eastern part of Colchis. During the 5th-4th centuries B.C., radical changes occurred in the Colchian kingdom. The supreme caste of priests united a certain land around themselves, while creating a solid foundation for hegemony in government. Thus, this elite becomes the guiding force of social life. The fifth, eighth and thirteenth tombs of Sairkhe, where besides people, horses are also buried represents precisely this situation. The case of sacrificing horses and building tombs is crucial at this stage of the study, because when we try to establish a hierarchy within the same hereditary aristocracy, this fact can help us. The advantage of the fifth, eighth, and thirteenth tombs in this respect is obvious in comparison with other tombs. There is also a difference in terms of grave inventory. For example, in the burial #10 there are no government insignias (tiaras) characteristic for these assemblages. Even the construction of the tenth tomb itself (only one burial chamber) shows that the deceased buried in it are socially inferior to the aristocracy of the fifth, eighth and tenth tombs. For comparison, the volume of the tenth tomb was only 4 m2, while the area of the fifth and eighth tombs was 20 m2 , and the thirteenth tomb was 16 m2. Different designs and sizes of graves should be explained by the socio-political status of the buried. This view is partially confirmed by the fact of the burial of horses. Five horses each were buried in the fifth and eighth tombs and three in the thirteenth tomb. The fact that the horse is not buried in the tenth burial should not be an accidental event. This fact indicates that a person buried in the tenth tomb could not rise to the status of ruler. Thus, a certain hierarchy can be distinguished in the governing top of Sairkhe. Thus, the representatives of the government branch of the sceptuckhs are buried in the first, fifth, eighth and thirteenth tombs of the Sabaduri hill Sairkhe. This branch originates from the thirteenth tomb (the first half of the 5th century B.C.) and exists until the turn of the 4th-3rd centuries B.C. (first tomb). Regarding the fourth, sixth, ninth and tenth tombs, I suppose that members of the sceptuckh family, who were not direct rulers, were buried in them. This fact leads to the existence of the institution of heredity in Sairkhe of the 5th-4th centuries B.C., and recognition of the socio-political continuity of this ruling family.

bibliografia:

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tabulebis aRweriloba:

I - 1. samarxi №8; 2. samarxi №10. II - 1. diadema. samarxi №13; 2. skiptra. samarxi №13; 3. kiliki. samarxi №13; 4. samarxebi №8 da №9.

Illustrations:

I. 1. Tomb №8; 2. Tomb №10. II. 1. Diadem. Tomb №13; 2. Scepter. Tomb №13; 3. Kylix. Tomb №13; 4. Tombs №8 and №9.

I

II

daviT gagoSiZe saqarTvelos erovnuli muzeumi (saqarTvelo, Tbilisi)

brinjaos patera dedoflis goris sasaxlidan

dedoflis gora mravalfeniani arqeologiuri Zeglia, romelic mdebareobs Sida qarTlSi, saqarTvelos geografiul centrSi, mdinare mtkvris marcxena Senakadis dasavleT fronis marcxena napiras. dedoflis goris simaRle mdinaris donidan 34 metria. Crdilo-aRmosavleTidan samxreT-dasavleTisaken daqanebuli misi ovaluri moxazulobis Txemis farTobi daaxloebiT 3500 kv.m.-s Seadgens. dedoflis goris samxreTi ferdobi, romelsac mdinare recxavs, TiTqmis Sveulad eSveba da aq, WrilSi goris Txemidan 14 metris siRrmemde kulturuli danaSrevebia gaSiSvlebuli - xalkoliTis periodidan q.S. VI saukunemde1 . 1985 wlidan dedoflis goraze daiwyo stacionaruli arqeologiuri gaTxrebi, romlis mTavari mizani iyo gvianelinisturi-adreromauli xanis sasaxlis Seswavla. gairkva, rom sasaxle aSenebulia q.w. II saukunis dasasruls da periodulad samefo rezidenciad iqceoda xolme, im dros rodesac qarTlis mefe modioda salocavad Tavis sagvareulo samlocveloSi. dedoflis goris sasaxlis Tanadrouli grandiozuli sataZro kompleqsi - qarTlis mefeTa sagvareulo samlocvelo 1972-1976 wlebSi nawilobriv gaiTxara dedoflis goris sasaxlis CrdiloeTiT, misgan 3 kilometriT2 . dedoflis goraze 1985-2019 wlebSi sul gaiTxara 27 saTavso, romelic goris Txemis kides Semouyveba. TiTqmis yvela oTaxi gegmaSi oTxkuTxaa. SigadaSig ki gvxvdeba viwro da grZeli oTaxebi, romlebic sasaxlis zeda sarTulebze asasvleli xis kibis ujredebi iyo. sasaxle orsarTuliani iyo, oTaxebis rigSi CarTuli 2 koSki ki samsarTuliania. yvela oTaxis kari gadis derefanSi, romelic pilonebiT gamoyofilia Sida ezosagan. mSeneblobis teqnikis TvalsazrisiT, dedoflis goris sasaxle tipiuri nagebobaa elinisturi xanis qarTlisTvis. mzidi konstruqcia xisaa. kedlebisa da pilonebis qveda nawili warmoadgens kedlis sigrZiv da gardigardmo dalagebuli xis ZelebiT Sekrul galias, romelic 1.5-2.0 m. simaRlemde Sevsebulia bzenarevi Tixis xsnarze dawyobili msxvili riyis qviT. kedeli garedan da

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zogjer Signidanac mopirkeTebulia Tlili blokebiT, romlebic erTmaneTTan da kedlis armaturis ZelebTan dakavSirebulia isrispiris formis xis pironebiT. 1.5-2.0 metris simaRlis aseT cokolze ayvanilia alizis kedeli, romelic aseve armirebulia xis ZelebiT3 .

SemorCenili pirveli sarTulis oTaxebi sxvadasxva daniSnulebisa iyo da isini naTel warmodgenas gviqmnian imdroindeli cxovrebis wesis Sesaxeb. Warbobs sameurneo daniSnulebis oTaxebi, romlebSic warmodgenilia puris sacxobi furneebi, xorbliT savse tomrebi da WurWlebi, xelsafqvavebi, sxvadasxva daniSnulebis iaraRebi da sxva. pirvelive sarTulze unda yofiliyo sakulto daniSnulebis oTaxebi. #20 oTaxSi aRmoCnda alizis TaRovani cecxlis sakurTxeveli, romlis Tavze aRmoCnda Sewiruli nivTebi: berZnul-romauli RvTaebebis mcire zomis qandakebebi, avgustusis 13 vercxlis denari da aleqsandre makedonelis stateris oqros ori minabaZi4. sakulto daniSnulebisaa aseve 2018 wels gaTxriliN#26 oTaxi. oTaxis 1 metrze SemorCenili kedlebi alizis sqeli feniTaa saguldagulod Selesili. oTaxSi gasaocrad kargadaa Semonaxuli alizis struqturebi: TaRovani cecxlis sakurTxeveli (msgavsiN#20 oTaxis sakurTxevlisa, magram masze didi), puris sacxobi furne da podiumi zemodan Calesili xelsafqvaviT. amave oTaxSi gaiwminda ori saRvine qvevri. erT-erTi qvevris pirze aRmoCnda arameuli warwera. #26 oTaxi yvela niSniT samlocvelo unda yofiliyo, sadac warmodgenilia aramarto sakurTxeveli, aramed sakulto ritualebisTvis aucilebeli puri da Rvino. amasTanave, puri iqve ifqveboda da cxveboda5. sasaxlis zeda sarTulebis nangrevSi aRmoCenili fufunebis nivTebi (aveji, sxvadasxva masalis - vercxli, brinjao, mina, xe, Zvali - WurWeli, Zvirfasi samkaulebi, qsovilebi) imaze miuTiTebs, rom isini didgvarovnebs ekuTvnodaT. sasaxle daingra q.S. I saukunis bolos Zlieri miwisZvriT, romelsac xanZaric moyva6. zeda sarTulebis damwvar-daduRebulma masam saimedod daakonserva sasaxlis pirveli sarTuli. miwisZvra da xanZari imdenad Zlieri da, rac mTavaria, uecari yofila, rom sasaxlis binadarT Senobidan TiTqmis verafris gatana mouswriaT. amitomac aris esoden mdidari da mravalferovani sasaxlis gaTxrebiT mopovebuli nivTieri arqeologiuri masala. sasaxlis 27 saTavsodan muzeumSi moxvda 15000-mde artefaqti: aveji, sabrZolo da sameurneo iaraR-saWurveli, sxvadasxva masalis (vercxli, brinjao, mina, xe, Zvali) WurWeli, samkauli, monetebi da sxv.

3. Gagoshidze, Dedoplis Gora – One of the Most Important Archaeological Sites, 44. 4. Iulon Gagoshidze and Elena Rova, “2013–2015 Activities of the Georgian-Italian Shida Kartli Archaeological Project at Aradetis Orgora (Georgia)” Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East Volume 2, 25-29 April 2016, Vienna (Wiesbaden 2018) 498-499. 5. daviT gagoSiZe, “aradeTis orgoris (dedoflis goris) arqeologiuri eqspediciis 2018 wlis savele samuSaoebis mokle angariSi”, 2018 wels Catarebuli arqeologiuri gaTxrebis mokle angariSebis krebuli (Tbilisi 2019) 186-189. 6. iulon gagoSiZe, “2013-2015 wlebis arqeologiuri gaTxrebi dedoflis goraze (eqspress informacia)“ iberia-kolxeTi 11 (Tbilisi 2015) 120; Iulon Gagoshidze, “A Roman Pantheon on a Zoroastrian Altar”, Museum. Georgian National Museum N3 (Tbilisi 2017) 45; Otar Varazanashvili, Nino Tsereteli and Emil Tsereteli, “Historycal Earthquakes in Georgia (up to 1900): Source Analysis and Catalogue Compilation” (Tbilisi 2011) 20-21.

dedoflis goris sasaxlis monapovari saSualebas iZleva Tvali gavadevnoT qarTlis samefos (kavkasiis iberiis) urTierTobas garesamyarosTan, upirveles yovlisa romis imperiasTan, rogorc metropoliasTan ise mis aRmosavleT provinciebTan. q.w. 65 wels pompeusis laSqrobis Semdeg qarTlis samefos mieniWa romis megobris da mokavSiris statusi, romelic qarTlis samefom SeinarCuna saukuneebis ganmavlobaSi7 . 2019 wlis arqeologiuri gaTxrebis dros dedoflis goris sasaxlis #27 oTaxis samxreTiT, e.w. Ria sivrceSi, aRmoCnda brinjaos patera8. pateris jami Zlieri ceclxisgan dazianebulia. kargadaa SemorCenili mxolod tari, romelic kanelurebiT aris Semkuli da bolovdeba grexilrqebiani verZis Tavis skulpturuli gamosaxulebiT. taris meore boloze warmodgenilia misi jamTan misaerTebeli figuruli firfita, romelic tarTan erTadaa Camosxmuli (taris sigrZe 13 sm). pateris tarTanve aRmoCnda brinjaos WurWlis (suris) piris fragmenti. es dedoflis goris sasaxleSi aRmoCenili meore pateraa. pirveli aRmoCnda 1926 wels da daculia saqarTvelos erovnuli muzeumis S. amiranaSvilis xelovnebis muzeumSi. am SemTxvevaSic pateris mxolod taria gadarCenili, romelsac skulpturuli dabolovebac dakarguli aqvs9 . saqarTveloSi romauli periodis sul 15 pateraa cnobili. aqedan 8 calis tari cxvris TaviT aris dabolovebuli, 4 calis – ZaRlis (mglis) TaviT, erTi gaurkveveli cxovelis TaviT, erTis tari brtyelia, erTs ki taris daboloveba dakarguli aqvs10 . saqarTveloSi aRmoCenili paterebi ekuTvnis samxreT-italikuri (kampania) brinjaos saxelosnoebis (garda `cixisZiris ganZSi~ Semavali 2 paterisa, romelic xelobiT bevrad Camouvardeba italikurs da n. inaiSvili maT romelime provinciul saxelosnoSi damzadebulad miiCnevs11) erT-erT yvelaze ufro masiur produqcias, romelic farTod iwarmoeboda q.S. I saukunesa da II saukunis dasawyisSi. didi raodenobiTaa isini gamovlenili italiis qalaqebSi, aseve romis imperiis dasavleT provinciebSi, da TiTqmis yvelgan _ dasavleT evropis teriotriaze. mravladaa mopovebuli aseTi paterebi CrdiloeT SavizRvispireTsa da CrdiloeT kavkasiiis arqeolo-

7. Iulon Gagoshidze, “Kartli in Hellenistic and Roman Times. General Aspects” in A. Furtwängler and I. Gagoshidze (edd.), Iberia and Rome. The Excavations of the Palace at Dedoplis Gora and the Roman influence in the Caucasian Kingdom of Iberia, (Langenweißbach 2008) 10-14. 8. daviT gagoSiZe, “aradeTis orgoris (dedoflis goris) arqeologiuri eqspediciis 2019 wlis savele samuSaoebis mokle angariSi”, 2019 wels Catarebuli arqeologiuri gaTxrebis mokle angariSebis krebuli (Tbilisi 2020) 235. 9. Henryk Löhr, “Metal Vessels and Furniture” in A. Furtwängler and I. Gagoshidze (edd.), Iberia and Rome. The Iberia and Rome The Excavations of the Palace at Dedoplis Gora and the Roman influence in the Caucasian Kingdom of Iberia, (Langenweißbach 2008) 156,161. 10. elene gigolaSvili, “saqarTveloSi aRmoCenili paterebi”, iberia-kolxeTi 7 (Tbilisi 2011) 63-72; oTar lorTqifaniZe, “antikuri samyaro da qarTlis samefo”, (Tbilisi 1968) 93-98; Mikheil Abramishvili et al, “Roman Aristocracy In Tbilisi?” in A. Sagona and M. Abramishvili (edd.), Archaeology in Saouthern Caucasus:Perspectives from Georgia, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Supplement 19, (LeuvenParis-Dudley 2008) 441-448; david braundi, qeTevan javaxiSvili da guram nemsaZe, “saganZuri zRudridan” (Tbilisi 2008) 88; Lohr, Vessels, 156,161. 11. nino inaiSvili, “cixisZiris ax.w. I-VI ss. arqeologiuri Zeglebi” (Tbilisi 1993) 36-41.

giur Zeglebzec12. tipologiurad dedoflis goris patera miekuTvneba e.w. `kanterberis~ tips13 . saqarTvelos teritoriaze napovni paterebis umravlesoba samarxeul inventars warmoadgens. gamonaklisia, mxolod dedoflis goris sasaxleSi aRmoCenili ori patera. paterebTan erTad, rogorc wesi, surebia napovni, rac kanonzomieria misi daniSnulebisadan gamomdinare. mecnierebma miaqcies yuradReba im garemoebas, rom mTel rig Zeglebze kultis msaxurebi gamosaxuli arian pateriTa da suriT xelSi. amis safuZvelze gamoiTqva mosazreba, rom paterebi samsxverplo WurWlebs warmoadgendnen. m. ivaSenkos azriT paterebi da maTTan erTad aRmoCenili surebi gamoiyeneboda sazeimo nadimis win xelis dasabanad. am mosazrebis sasargeblod, romelic gulisxmobs paterebis ara mxolod sakralur, aramed, agreTve, `saero~ daniSnulebas miuTiTebs bulgareTSi aRmoCenili III-IV saukuneebis kedlis mxatvroba, romelzec gamosaxulia romeliRac warCinebulis dilis tualeti da msaxuri, romelsac xelSi sura da pateris magvari WurWeli ukavia14. am mosazrebis dasturia paterebis aRmoCenac dedoflis goris sasaxleSi. rogorc Cans, xelis saritualo ganbanis wesi romauli xanis saqarTveloSi farTod yofila gavrcelebuli da savaraudoa, rom es wesi qarTvelebma berZnebisgan jer kidev aqemenidur xanaSi gadaiRes, rasac adasturebs aqemeniduri da postaqemeniduri xanis paterebis aRmoCenis faqtebi vanSi, dablagomsa15 da taxtiZirSi16 .

12. lorTqifaniZe, antikuri samyaro, 76-77, 95-96; gigolaSvili, paterebi, 68-69. 13. Hans Ulrich Nuber, “Kanne und Griffschale, Ihr Gebrauch im täglichen Leben und die Beigabe in Gräbern der römischen Keizerzeit”, 53. Bericht Der Römisch-Germanischen Komission 1972, (Berlin 1973) 60-73. 14. lorTqifaniZe, antikuri samyaro, 96-97; gigolaSvili, paterebi, 69. 15. gigolaSvili, paterebi, 63-66. 16. iulon gagoSiZe, “taxtiZiris samarovnebi” (Tbilisi 2020) 33-34.