Bolnisi Archaeological Monuments

The archaeological monuments of Bolnisi, including those from the Early and Late Bronze Ages, the Early Iron Age, Antiquity and the Middle Ages. They were discovered in the Kvemo Kartli region, in the current Bolnisi municipality.

The Bolnisi archaeological expedition (led by L. Muskhelishvili) cleared the land around Bolnisi Sioni in 1936-37, clarified the church's layout, and discovered fragments of stelae and stone crosses from the 5th to 7th centuries. The expedition also uncovered and deciphered the construction inscription, which helped to confirm the date of the construction of Bolnisi Sioni. In the churchyard, 23 stone tombs from the 15th-16th centuries were excavated. From 1957 to 1962, the archaeological expedition (led by I. Gdzelishvili) discovered tiled burials near Bolnisi Sioni from Late Antiquity. Furthermore, archeologists excavated the ruins of a fortress on a hill to the southwest and the remains of a stone-brick defensive wall of ancient Bolnisi. To the northwest of Bolnisi Sioni, on the so-called "Beautiful Hill," the expedition explored a monastic complex dating from the 5th to 8th centuries.

The discovery of ancient mining and iron metallurgy sites in the Bolnisi area is of great importance. Remains of an iron forge from Early Antiquity were found in the village of Kvemo Bolnisi, while feudal-era forges were uncovered in the valley of the Tsughrulasheni River, near the abandoned settlement of Gombat, and to the southwest of the village of Foladauri. Remains of 17th-18th century workshops were found near the village of Bolnisi, along the River Rkinistskali. These findings indicate that there was active iron mining and processing in ancient Georgia.

Literature: ა მ ი რ ა ნ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი  ჯ., ადრეფეოდალური ხანის ქართული არქიტექტურისა და რელიეფური ქანდაკების ძეგლები, თბ., 1968; მ უ ს ხ ე ლ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი  ლ., ბოლნისი, «ენიმკის მოამბე», 1938, ტ. 3; Г з е л и ш в и л и  И. А., Железоплавильное производство в древней Грузии, Тб., 1964.

V. Japaridze