Report on the Activities of the Eight Field Season of the Joint Shida Kartli Project (2016)
Iulon Gagoshidze (Georgian National Museum), Elena Rova (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia)
Introduction
The eight field season of the Shida Kartli project of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy) in cooperation with the Georgian National Museum (Georgia) took place from June 18th to August 1st, 2016. The Italian team arrived in Tbilisi on June 18th, and reached the town of Kareli on June 20th. Excavation activities started on June 21st and were completed on July 28th. On July 29th, the team returned to Tbilisi.
The Italian team was composed by the following archaeologists: prof. Elena Rova (co-director of the project, chief of the Italian group), dr. Katia Gavagnin, dr. Elisa Girotto, Davit Darejanashvili and Marta Aquilano, MA (PhD candidates at Ca' Foscari University), Laura Tonetto and Flavia Amato, MA (students at the SISBA archaeology specialisation school), Beatrice Barbiero, Chiara Mariotto, Cristina Martin, BA, and Andrea Milanese (students at Ca' Foscari University), Giampaolo Ceccarini, MA, and dr. Alberto Savioli (University of Udine, topographer). The Georgian component of the team included the following archaeologists: prof. Iulon Gagoshidze (co-director, chief of the Georgian group), Tinatin Chanishvili, Nana Gogiberidze, Tinatin Kutelia (GNM), Davit Gagoshidze, MA (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University), Tamar Bijashvili and Magda Patiashvili (students at Sokhumi State University). Two restorers from the GNM of Tbilisi (Davit and Giorgi Gagoshidze) assisted the expedition in removing a complete Kura-Araxes fireplace from the excavation and delivering it to Kareli Museum).
Like in the previous seasons, the expedition was joined by experts in different fields: dr. Elisabetta Boaretto (14C expert, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot), dr. Modwene Poulmar'ch (Lyon University, palaeoanthropologist) and Eleonora Venier (architect, MA student at the IUAV University of Venice). 11 workmen from the village of Doghlauri and from the town of Kareli were engaged in the excavation; Mr. Emzari Tzulukidze drove the mission's minibus and took care of logistics. On 27/07/2016 the expedition received the visit of His Excellency dr. Antonio Bartoli, Italian Embassador in Tbilisi, and of a class of students of the Italian School "Tsiskari" in Tbilisi. It was also visited by the following colleagues: dr. Zurab Makharadze, Georgian National Museum (12/07/2016), dr. Eleonora Carminati (Melbourne University) and dr. Giorgi Bedianashvili (GNM) (15/07/2016), dr. Sarit Paz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and dr. Mindia Jalabadze, Georgian National Museum (16/07/2916), dr. Édouard de Laubrie, Musée des civilisations de l'Europe & de la Méditerranée, Marseille (20/07/2016).
The main activity of the season was the continuation of the excavations on the Aradetis Orgora Main Mound (Dedoplis Gora), whose aim was to complete the stratigraphic sequence of pre-classical occupation and to continue the exposure of the Hellenistic Building (Fig. 1).
Excavation in Field C by the Georgian team under the responsibility of prof. Gagoshidze aimed at continuing the investigation of the Late Hellenistic/Early imperial palatial building located on top of the mound. Fields A and B represent the continuation of the two stratigraphic soundings initiated in 2013 on the opposite (Western and Eastern) sides of the mound with the aims of verifying the settlement's pre-classical occupational sequence and of obtaining a corpus of stratigraphically secure artefacts and ecofacts from the different occupational phases: they were excavated by a mixed Georgian-Italian team under the responsibility of prof. Elena Rova (sites supervisors Elena Rova, Katia Gavagnin and Marta Aquilano). Finally, the joint team carried out the salvage excavation of a grave of the neighbouring Aradetis Orgora (Doghlauri) cemetery which had been damaged by the building of the ballast of the new Tbilisi-Batumi highway. In spite of the very rainy season, which caused the loss of a few working days, the excavation could be carried out regularly and produced important results.
In Field A (Western Stratigraphic Sounding) work continued both on the levels of the earlier Late Bronze Age, and, on a smaller scale, on those of the Middle Bronze Age (Trialeti culture). Quite unexpectedly, these had a thickness of over 1.20 m. Excavation reached the interface between the Middle and the Early Bronze Age, at a level where some Bedeni and Kura-Araxes pottery sherds started to emerge. In Field B (Eastern Stratigrahic Sounding), we continued the small sounding opened last year on the inner side of the large Late Bronze Age terracing wall, where we not only confirmed the presence of Middle Bronze Age occupation (Trialeti culture) in this part of the site, but discovered, under it, a layer belonging to the Later Early Bronze Age (Bedeni culture). On the outer side of the Late Bronze Age wall we completed the investigation of the Kura-Araxes levels and exposed on a wider surface the earliest occupation above virgin soil, which had already been reached in 2014. The earliest Kura-Araxes level yielded part of a wattle-and daub hut, whose floor was equipped with a well-preserved Kura-Araxes hearth. Excavation in Field C, after dismantling the Early Medieval layer overlying it, brought to light the portion of the internal courtyard of the Hellenistic building adjacent to the portico explored in 2013-2014 and reached the level of its burnt floor. Compared to the previous seasons of the project, work in the expedition house at Kareli occupied a larger number of team members. In particular, we started a final re-analysis and check of some categories of materials collected during the 2013-2016 seasons, on which MA, PhD and specialisation theses are presently in course by students affiliated to the team. Microlithics were analysed by Flavia Amato, animal bones by Beatrice Barbiero, Late Bronze/Early Iron Age by Laura Tonetto and Davit Darejanashvili.
Sampling for different types of scientific analyses was also further implemented. Like in the previous years, samples for radiometric dating were collected on the field by E. Boaretto, while samples for soil micromorphology (to be analysed by G. Boschian) and palinological analyses (to be processed by E. Kvavadze) were collected by the excavators, and samples of pottery sherds of different periods (Kura-Araxes, Bedeni, Middle and Late Bronze ages) were collected for archaeometric analyses. In addition, we collected samples of paste beads of different periods (to be analysed in Italy by dr. Ivana Angelini of Padua University) and samples of animal bones and carbonised plants, to be subjected to stable isotopes analysis (by prof. Paola Iacumin, University of Parma) in order to trace movements of people and animals, as well as herding systems in the various periods, and to reconstruct palaeoclimate and ancient agricultural practices.
The project of experimental archaeology initiated in 2015 was also continued under the responsibility of Marta Aquilano and Davit Darejanashvili: further replicas of Early Bronze (Kura-Araxes period) and of Late Bronze Age firing installations were constructed and used in controlled conditions. Finally, Alberto Savioli, Chiara Mariotto and Eleonora Venier produced a new georeferenced contour map of the Aradetis Orgora Main Mound and of the cemetery area.
The Italian team was composed by the following archaeologists: prof. Elena Rova (co-director of the project, chief of the Italian group), dr. Katia Gavagnin, dr. Elisa Girotto, Davit Darejanashvili and Marta Aquilano, MA (PhD candidates at Ca' Foscari University), Laura Tonetto and Flavia Amato, MA (students at the SISBA archaeology specialisation school), Beatrice Barbiero, Chiara Mariotto, Cristina Martin, BA, and Andrea Milanese (students at Ca' Foscari University), Giampaolo Ceccarini, MA, and dr. Alberto Savioli (University of Udine, topographer). The Georgian component of the team included the following archaeologists: prof. Iulon Gagoshidze (co-director, chief of the Georgian group), Tinatin Chanishvili, Nana Gogiberidze, Tinatin Kutelia (GNM), Davit Gagoshidze, MA (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University), Tamar Bijashvili and Magda Patiashvili (students at Sokhumi State University). Two restorers from the GNM of Tbilisi (Davit and Giorgi Gagoshidze) assisted the expedition in removing a complete Kura-Araxes fireplace from the excavation and delivering it to Kareli Museum).
Like in the previous seasons, the expedition was joined by experts in different fields: dr. Elisabetta Boaretto (14C expert, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot), dr. Modwene Poulmar'ch (Lyon University, palaeoanthropologist) and Eleonora Venier (architect, MA student at the IUAV University of Venice). 11 workmen from the village of Doghlauri and from the town of Kareli were engaged in the excavation; Mr. Emzari Tzulukidze drove the mission's minibus and took care of logistics. On 27/07/2016 the expedition received the visit of His Excellency dr. Antonio Bartoli, Italian Embassador in Tbilisi, and of a class of students of the Italian School "Tsiskari" in Tbilisi. It was also visited by the following colleagues: dr. Zurab Makharadze, Georgian National Museum (12/07/2016), dr. Eleonora Carminati (Melbourne University) and dr. Giorgi Bedianashvili (GNM) (15/07/2016), dr. Sarit Paz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and dr. Mindia Jalabadze, Georgian National Museum (16/07/2916), dr. Édouard de Laubrie, Musée des civilisations de l'Europe & de la Méditerranée, Marseille (20/07/2016).
The main activity of the season was the continuation of the excavations on the Aradetis Orgora Main Mound (Dedoplis Gora), whose aim was to complete the stratigraphic sequence of pre-classical occupation and to continue the exposure of the Hellenistic Building (Fig. 1).
Excavation in Field C by the Georgian team under the responsibility of prof. Gagoshidze aimed at continuing the investigation of the Late Hellenistic/Early imperial palatial building located on top of the mound. Fields A and B represent the continuation of the two stratigraphic soundings initiated in 2013 on the opposite (Western and Eastern) sides of the mound with the aims of verifying the settlement's pre-classical occupational sequence and of obtaining a corpus of stratigraphically secure artefacts and ecofacts from the different occupational phases: they were excavated by a mixed Georgian-Italian team under the responsibility of prof. Elena Rova (sites supervisors Elena Rova, Katia Gavagnin and Marta Aquilano). Finally, the joint team carried out the salvage excavation of a grave of the neighbouring Aradetis Orgora (Doghlauri) cemetery which had been damaged by the building of the ballast of the new Tbilisi-Batumi highway. In spite of the very rainy season, which caused the loss of a few working days, the excavation could be carried out regularly and produced important results.
In Field A (Western Stratigraphic Sounding) work continued both on the levels of the earlier Late Bronze Age, and, on a smaller scale, on those of the Middle Bronze Age (Trialeti culture). Quite unexpectedly, these had a thickness of over 1.20 m. Excavation reached the interface between the Middle and the Early Bronze Age, at a level where some Bedeni and Kura-Araxes pottery sherds started to emerge. In Field B (Eastern Stratigrahic Sounding), we continued the small sounding opened last year on the inner side of the large Late Bronze Age terracing wall, where we not only confirmed the presence of Middle Bronze Age occupation (Trialeti culture) in this part of the site, but discovered, under it, a layer belonging to the Later Early Bronze Age (Bedeni culture). On the outer side of the Late Bronze Age wall we completed the investigation of the Kura-Araxes levels and exposed on a wider surface the earliest occupation above virgin soil, which had already been reached in 2014. The earliest Kura-Araxes level yielded part of a wattle-and daub hut, whose floor was equipped with a well-preserved Kura-Araxes hearth. Excavation in Field C, after dismantling the Early Medieval layer overlying it, brought to light the portion of the internal courtyard of the Hellenistic building adjacent to the portico explored in 2013-2014 and reached the level of its burnt floor. Compared to the previous seasons of the project, work in the expedition house at Kareli occupied a larger number of team members. In particular, we started a final re-analysis and check of some categories of materials collected during the 2013-2016 seasons, on which MA, PhD and specialisation theses are presently in course by students affiliated to the team. Microlithics were analysed by Flavia Amato, animal bones by Beatrice Barbiero, Late Bronze/Early Iron Age by Laura Tonetto and Davit Darejanashvili.
Sampling for different types of scientific analyses was also further implemented. Like in the previous years, samples for radiometric dating were collected on the field by E. Boaretto, while samples for soil micromorphology (to be analysed by G. Boschian) and palinological analyses (to be processed by E. Kvavadze) were collected by the excavators, and samples of pottery sherds of different periods (Kura-Araxes, Bedeni, Middle and Late Bronze ages) were collected for archaeometric analyses. In addition, we collected samples of paste beads of different periods (to be analysed in Italy by dr. Ivana Angelini of Padua University) and samples of animal bones and carbonised plants, to be subjected to stable isotopes analysis (by prof. Paola Iacumin, University of Parma) in order to trace movements of people and animals, as well as herding systems in the various periods, and to reconstruct palaeoclimate and ancient agricultural practices.
The project of experimental archaeology initiated in 2015 was also continued under the responsibility of Marta Aquilano and Davit Darejanashvili: further replicas of Early Bronze (Kura-Araxes period) and of Late Bronze Age firing installations were constructed and used in controlled conditions. Finally, Alberto Savioli, Chiara Mariotto and Eleonora Venier produced a new georeferenced contour map of the Aradetis Orgora Main Mound and of the cemetery area.