The scientists from the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) and the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia have submitted an initiative to the Government of Georgia on granting the status of a national monument of cultural heritage to the Grakliani Hill (Kaspi municipality). The event dedicated to this initiative was held at TSU on March 12, during which diverse artifacts discovered at the Grakliani Hill were exhibited.
Head of the TSU Institute of Archaeology, Professor Vakhtang Licheli said: “The artifacts discovered at the Grakliani Hill as a result of archaeological diggings conducted by TSU students confirm that people lived on that territory for already two million years. The discovered materials, which cover 11 various archaeological periods, confirm intensive cultural and economic relations of people living there with the world’s strongest cultural and political centers. TSU students started to research the Grakliani Hill in the course of their practical activities. Not only granting of the status of national monument to the Grakliani Hill will promote the continuation of archaeological works and development of educational and practical activities, but due to its location, it will become a tourist attraction.”
“The Grakliani Hill is a very important historical and cultural monument. Student archaeologists from TSU have been working on this site since 2007. Our agency joined the large-scale activities in 2014 and granted the status of cultural heritage monument to the Grakliani Hill. We hope that the Government of Georgia will support our initiative and grant the status of the national monument to the Grakliani Hill that will promote further expanding of archaeological works and will simultaneously make this site attractive for tourists,” Head of the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, Nikoloz Antidze said.
A relevant station for TSU students’ scientific archaeological practice was established at the Grakliani Hill discovered during the construction of Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze Highway in 2007. As a result of annual archaeological research (head of expedition, TSU Professor Vakhtang Licheli), this archaeological site provides new and important information. The artifacts discovered on the site are unique and prove the history of Grakliani’s continuous development.
Materials about Grakliani have been used in the world leading scientific publications in France, Holland, England, Italy, Germany and Spain. Director General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), Stefano De Caro showed interest towards the development and popularization of Grakliani. Field specialists suppose that there are all reasons for the Grakliani Hill to gain the status of a national monument that will further strengthen the mechanisms for its protection and development.
The most important exhibits of Grakliani’s richest collection are: golden disc dated to the 4th millennium BC. Its only analogue exists in the city of Suzar, Iran; seal dated to the 4th millennium BC. Its analogue exists in Southern Mesopotamia, and decorated bread baking oven, the size of which varies according to the size of a building.
The Grakliani Hill is a diverse archaeological monument, where 300 000-year-long development of humans is confirmed from the Stone Age through the Roman imperial period. Dwelling houses, temples and graves are situated on the terraces discovered on the Grakliani Hill. They belong to the 4th millennium BC and 1st millennium AD.
The complex of temples (400-350 BC) found on the third terrace further increases the significance of the Grakliani Hill. Two meter high walls plastered with thin mass of clay have been preserved in the complex with ritual hearth and alters maintained in the interior.
Ceramic, as well as bronze, silver and golden items are prevailing among the materials found on the site. Along with local materials, some products made during old civilizations were also found, among them golden disc (dated to the 4th millennium BC, found in 2011) and ceramic seal (dated to the 4th millennium BC, found in 2010. Its analogue exists in Southern Mesopotamia).
The first discovery was made on the Grakliani Hill during the construction of the Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze Highway in 2007. The Grakliani archaeological site is located on the hill near the right bank of the river Lekhura, on the territory of the villages of Igoeti and Samtavisi in the Kaspi municipality of eastern Georgia.
