The Results of the Palynological Studies Carried Out at the Tskheta Necropolis

The Results of the Palynological Studies Carried Out at the Tskheta Necropolis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52340/gmg2023.01.10

Keywords:

Lechkhumi, Ancient, Tskheta Necropolis

Abstract

The first archaeological expedition (head L. Sakharova) was held at the Tskheta Necropolis (Lechkhumi) in 1962. Fifteen burials dated from the Classical Period (4th century BC – 4th century AD) were excavated. The discovered artefacts are kept and exposed at the Tsageri Museum. Along with the other materials found in Lechkhumi, the materials revealed at the Tskheta Necropolis are investigated and published. It is understandable that in the 1960s it was impossible to carry out palynological studies, since this branch of science was established even in the European countries only in the 1970s. This discipline was started in Georgia about 20 years ago. The organic residues were first collected from the archaeological materials and investigated by Eliso Kvavadze. The excavations at the Tskheta Necropolis were resumed in 2015. Due to the palynological investigations, carried out by means of two methods – Palynological studies Palynologycal and Non-Pollen Palynomorphs (NPP) - the organic residues were collected from the clay vessels, which were found in the burials dated from the Classical Period in the course of the excavations carried out at the Tskheta Necropolis in 2016, 2017, and 2018. There were identified pollen grains of wine-grapes, and vine-yard weeds. Of the NPP, there were defined lots of pollen grains of starch, phytoliths, as well as flax fibers. The latter ones, presumably, represent remains of clothes or linen textile, covering the jug. Tracheal cells of the tree heartwood are encountered in great amounts, proving the existence of wooden constructions in the burial, while, of the NPP, the abundance of ticks could serve as a proof of interring of the deceased in the warm season. This kind of research was conducted for the first time in Lechkhumi.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Nino Sulava, Georgian National Museum

The Main Curator of the Georgian National Museum, Doctor of  Historical Sciences

Maia Chichinadze, Georgian National Museum

Science worker, Georgian  National Museum Research Institute of Paleoanthropology and

Paleobiogy Research Institute Status

References

ვახუშტი 1941. აღწერა სამეფოსა საქართველოსა (თ. ლომოურისა და ნ. ბერძენიშვილის რედაქციით). თბილისი.

ბერძენიშვილი დ., ბანძელაძე ი., სურამელაშვილი მ., ჭურღულია ლ. 1983. ლეჩხუმი. თბილისი.

ლეთოდიანი დ. 2003. ძიებანი. თბილისი.

სახაროვა ლ. 1967. ანტიკური ხანის სამარხები. ჟურნ. ,,საბჭოთა ხელოვნება’’, # 9. თბილისი.

სახაროვა ლ. 1976. ლეჩხუმის 1970-71 წწ. არქეოლოგიური ექსპედიციის მუშაობის შედეგები. მაცნე (ისტორიის სერია), # 3. თბილისი. გვ. 96-104.

† სახაროვა ლ., სულავა ნ. 2014. ცხეთის ნასახლარი (ლეჩხუმის 1970-71 წწ. Aრქეოლოგიური ექსპედიციის მუშაობის შედეგები), ცაგერის ისტორიული მუზეუმის შრომები I. თბილისი. გვ. 67-86.

სულავა ნ. 1996. მთიანი კოლხეთი ანტიკურ ხანაში. თბილისი.

სულავა ნ., აღაპიშვილი თ., კოპალიანი ნ., ქორიძე ი., პატარიძე მ., ბაქრაძე ი., ჩაგელიშვილი რ., მამარდაშვილი გ. 2012. ცაგერის ისტორიული მუზეუმი. ალბომი. თბილისი.

სულავა Nნ. 2003. ლეჩხუმში აღმოჩენილი მცირე ზომის ყალიბის შესახებ. ძიებანი, # 10, თბილისი. გვ. 31-37.

სულავა ნ., კოპალიანი ნ. 2012. ცაგერის ისტორიული მუზეუმის ახალი ექსპონატი. ლეჩხუმი (ცაგერისAადგილობრივი გაზეთი). # 7 (14).

სულავა ნ. 2013. ახალი არქეოლოგიური აღმოჩენა ლეჩხუმიდან – ბრინჯაოს ხარი. საქართველოს ეროვნული მუზეუმის მოამბე. საზოგადოებრივ მეცნიერებათა სერია # 4 (49-B). თბილისი. გვ. 62-67.

სულავა ნ., ესვანჯია ი. 2016. ცხეთის სამაროვნის სამარხთა განლაგების რეკონსტრუქცია. ძიებანი, # 23.

Beug H.-J. 2004. Leitfagen den Pollenbestimmung für Mitteleuropa and Angrenzende Gebiete. Verlag Dr.Friedrich Pteil, Munchen.

Chichinadze M., Kvavadze E. 2013. Pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in organic residue from the hoard of ancient Vani (western Georgia). J. Archaeol. Sci. 40. pp. 2237–2253.

Chichinadze M., Kvavadze E. 2014. The palynological studies of the materials obtained in 2009 from the cultural layers and burials of the Classical period at the Nokalakevi site. In: Paul, Everill (Ed.), Archaeological Excavations 2001-2010 Anglo-Georgian Expedition to Nokalakevi 2001-2010, Nokalakevi-Tsikhegoji-Archaeopolos. BAR International Series 2612. Oxford, Archaeopress. pp. 111–120.

Chichinadze M., Kvavadze E., Kacharava D., Akhvlediani D., Kvirkvelia G. 2012. Palynological characteristics of organic remains of Burial No 22 from the site of ancient Settlement Vani. Proceedings of Natural and Prehistoric Section. Georgian National Museum 4. pp. 95–108.

Kvavadze E., 2006. The use of fossilized honey for paleoecological reconstruction: a palynological study of archeological material from Georgia. Paleontol. J. 40 (5). pp. 595–603.

Kvavadze E. 2008. Non pollen Palynomorphs as an important object for solution of archaeological problems. In: Maritan M., Miola A. (Eds.), Proceedings of 3-th International Workshop on Quaternary Non-pollen Palynomorphs. Padova. pp. 34–37.

Kvavadze E., Chichinadze M., Martkoplishvili I. 2010. The Pollen Production and yeld in vineyard of Kakheti according to the results of pollen monitoring. Proceedings of 33rd World Congress of Vine and Wine 8th General Assembly of the OIV. pp. 20-25.

Kvavadze E. 2016. Palynological Study of Organic Remains from the Ananauri Kurgan. Ananauri Big Kurgan, Tbilisi, pp. 156–192.

Kvavadze, E. 2018. Das organishe Material aus dem Kurgan Nr.3 from Ananauri. In: L.Giemsch und S. Hansen. Gold &Wein, Georgiens alteste Schätze. Archeologische Museum. Nunnerich-Asmus Verlag et Media. Frankfurt. pp. 190–195.

Kvavadze E., Davadze M. 2014. The results of palynological researches of the content of the vessel from Pichvnari Necropolis (Grave №339). In: Iberia-Colchis, №10. Georgian National Museum Press. Tbilisi. pp. 111–117 (in Georgian).

Kvavadze E., Martkoplishvili I. 2018. The significance of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in archaeological material for human paleodiet reconstruction. In: Batmaz, A., Bedianashvili, G., Michalewicz, A., Robinson, A. (Eds.), Context and Connection: Essays on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East in Honour of Antonio Sagona. 978-90-429-3403-0. pp. 749–767.

Kvavadze E., Gambashidze I., Mindiashvili G., Gogochuri G. 2007. The first find in southern Georgia of fossil honey from the Bronze Age, based on palynological data. Veg. Hist. Archaeobotany 16. 399–404.

Moore P.D., Webb J.A., Collinson M.E. 1991. Pollen Analysis. Blackwell Scientific Publications. Oxford.

Piperno D.R. 2006. Phytoliths: A Comprehensive Guide for Archaeologists and Paleoecologists. Alta Mira Press. New York.

Reille M. 1992. Pollen Et Spores D’europe Et D’afrique Du Nord. Laboratoire de botanique historique et palynologie, Marseille, France.

Reille M. 1995. Pollen Et Spores D’europe Et D’afrique Du Nord.Supplement 1. Laboratoire de botanique historique et palynologie. Marseille, France.

Reille M., 1998. Pollen Et Spores D’europe Et D’afrique Du Nord. Supplement 2. Laboratoire de botanique historique et palynologie. Marseille, France.

Richter H., Grosser D., Heinz I., Gasson P. 2004. Iawa list of microscopic features for softwood indentification by an iawa committee. Int. Ass. Wood Anatom. Nat. Herbarium Nederland, Leiden, The Netherland, Iawa J. 25 (1), 1–70.

Sulava N. 2001a. Letschchumi – eine bedeutendste frühe Metallurgie-Region in der Kolchis. GEORGIEN, „Schätzeausdem Land des goldenenVlies’’. Bochum. 186-187.

Sulava N.2001b. Gussform. GEORGIEN, „Schätzeausdem Land des goldenenVlies’’. Bochum. 375.

Sulava N. 2008. On a small mould discovered in mountainous Colchis. Ancient mining in Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean (AMITEM) - U. Jalcin (Ed.). Ankara. 299-305

Toohey P. 2010. Death and Burial in the Ancient World:The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Roma, vol. 1 University Press, Oxford.

van Geel B. 1998. In: van Hoeve M.L., Henndrikse M. (Eds.), A Study of Non-pollen Objects in Pollen Slides (The Types as Described by Dr Bas Van Geel and Colleagues). Utrecht.

Downloads

Published

2023-10-27

How to Cite

Sulava, N., & Chichinadze, M. (2023). The Results of the Palynological Studies Carried Out at the Tskheta Necropolis. Museum and Globalization, 1(1), 100–114. https://doi.org/10.52340/gmg2023.01.10

Issue

Section

ARCHAEOLOGY
Loading...