Stamp Seals in and out of Georgia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55804/TSU-ti-1/Chogovadze

Keywords:

Stamp Seals, Georgia, Archaeology

Abstract

In this abstract I will shortly discuss the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age clay seals, mostly stamps which have been discovered on the territory of Georgia and also their analogues. I have started to investigate this issue on my master and on that stage of study I had done catalogue, classification and the research of the given materials. As a PhD dissertation I am planning to finish the study of the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age Georgian Clay seals.As it is seen from the study of the Late Bronze-Early Iron Age Georgian seals in most cases their surface depicts the ornamental motives which were very spread in the other ancient cultures in different periods, but at the same time some of the depictions are local. As it is known societies which had been living on the territory of Georgia had intercultural and trade relations with different cultures, such as Anatolian, Aegean, and Mediterranean, near Eastern and so on. And these relations could be seen on different materials discovered during the archaeological excavations. As I have already mentioned Georgian seals depictions have parallels in different ancient cultures from Europe to Indus valley. Before appearing in Georgia stamp seals had been spread in some other ancient cultures earlier. Probably this type of seals had been entered on the territory of Georgia from these cultures. One of the main goals of my works is to find out from which culture, with which way and when it started to distribute stamp seals on the territory of Georgia. to research this issue, I use some methods. For example: I compare Georgian seals with its analogues and also, I mark the discovery places of its analogues on the map chronologically. This will help me to define the distribution territories of this kind of the seals and its spreading routs, moreover, I will be able to see from which territory were distributed stamp seals on the territory of Georgia. It is true that the seals played a very important role in this period people’s everyday life because they have been found at almost all Georgian significant archaeological sites. unfortunately, there exists many vague facts about Late Bronze-Early Iron Age Georgian archaeology. So, studying this kind of important materials will clear up some of the undefined issues about this period Georgia too. the fact that Georgian seals finds many analogues among the ancient worlds seals grows this artifacts importance, and it is evident that Georgian seals must be studied among the other cultures’ seals.

Author Biography

Tamar Chogovadze /Sakartvelo, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

I am Tamar Chogovadze PhD student of archaeology at Tbilisi State University. I took BA degree of archaeology in 2017 with the research paper: “Clay production of Atskuri (6th-4th century BC)” and MA degree of it in 2019 with a work: “Late Bronze – Early Iron Age seals (research and catalogue)” at Tbilisi State University. From 2014 to present time I have taken part in different archaeological expedition around Georgia and abroad (Grakliani Gora, Khovle Gora Georgian-Austrian expedition, Lesale Georgian-German expedition, Javakheti Georgian-Italian expedition, Georgian archaeological mission in Cyprus (Softades), Armenian-Italian expedition in Armenia (Solak), etc.).

From 2015 to present I have presented different papers on Tbilisi State University’s annual student conferences. In 2016 I made a presentation: “Horse bits from Grakliani Gora” at International scientific conference - "Culture, identy and politics”, held in Tbilisi State University. Moreover, I was participant of “humboldt-kolleg 2019”, where I presented paper about my MA work. From 2016 to 2019 I was a member of organizing committee and also participant of International conference of student - archaeologists dedicated to Pitt Rivers, which is held in Vardzia Cave complex every year. In 2016 I made a first article: “Horse bits from an archaeological collection of Tbilisi State University” in “Tbilisi State University Humanties: scientific journal Students annual humanitarian studies”. In 2019 my project: “Late Bronze – Early Iron Age seals (research and catalogue)” won Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation grant (MR-183625). In 2019 and 2021 I was visiting Friedrich Schillers university of Jena as an invited researcher through the DAAD research Grant.

           

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Published

2022-05-07

How to Cite

/Sakartvelo, T. C. (2022). Stamp Seals in and out of Georgia. TSU-TI — THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.55804/TSU-ti-1/Chogovadze

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