Archaeological Monuments of the Ertso Plain

Archaeological Monuments of the Ertso Plain — settlements and burial grounds from various periods, as well as ruins of churches and cult structures, discovered on the Ertso Plain (Tianeti Municipality). Around 200 archaeological sites have been recorded.

The earliest among them is the so-called “Rkinis Kalo” (“Iron Threshing Floor”) near the village of Trani (excavated in 1963–65 and 1969). It is located on the right bank of the Tranuli River and consists of a 1-meter-thick layer of stones that formed over pit burials dating from the 9th–8th centuries BC. Within this stone layer, later burials from the 7th–6th centuries BC were inserted. The burial customs of the later graves are not well understood. In the earlier pit graves (depth 1.2–1.5 m), the deceased were laid on their right or left side, with bent limbs, and most often with their heads facing south. Grave artefacts included bronze and iron weapons, bronze ornaments, bone arrowheads, carnelian beads, and clay vessels of various forms.

In the Late Antiquity period, the Ertso Plain was densely populated. Among the sites from this era, the settlement and necropolis at Kushanaant Gori near the village of Magraneti have been studied. Alongside ordinary pit burials, a group of rich tombs of the Armaziskhevi type was found, one of which stands out in particular. In a 1-meter-deep pit, a single individual was buried lying on his back, with the head oriented westward. The grave was covered with a double-sloped tile roof supported by a wooden framework. Among the grave artefacts were found gold rings, earrings, a silver bowl inscribed in the Armazian script, two jugs, parts of a belt, seals, glass vessels, jet beads, and other items. The Kushanaant Gori necropolis is considered to have belonged to the dominant social stratum. The village of Magraneti, therefore, was likely the political center of the Ertso Plain in Late Antiquity.

During the Early Feudal period, the Ertso Plain experienced renewed prosperity. The density of settlement remains and burial grounds and the diversity of materials in them indicate significant advancement in economic and cultural life.

In the Middle Feudal period, the Ertso Plain was politically subordinate to the “Land of Zhaleti.” Numerous monuments from this period have been discovered. After Shah Abbas I’s invasion, however, intensive life on the Ertso Plain ceased for a long time.

Literature: რამიშვილი რ., ივრის ხეობის არქეოლოგიური ძეგლები, წგ. 1 – სიონი, თბ., 1970.

R. Ramishvili