პიტიახში ბუზმიჰრ კეთილი

Abstract

Archaeological artefacts found in the village of Bori in 1902 are kept in St. Petersburg State Hermitage. Among the collected materials, the golden cup is of particular interest. It features an Aramaic inscription „Kind Pitiakhsh Buzmihr“. This inscription was the first archaeological artefact which proved the existence of the Institution of Pitiakhsh in the Iberia kingdom of the Roman epoch.

Of course, it is interesting to know whether the tomb in which the cup was found can be considered to be the tomb of Pitiakhsh? The thing is that neither the sarcophagus nor the burial vault were found in Bori, and at first glance, the artefacts belonging to Pitiakhsh Buzmihr, by all sources, gave retrieved from the usual pit-grave. This reality makes me think that in this case we should not have to deal with the tomb of Pitiakhsh and the revealed rich inventory should not be his property. However, it is not excluded that this item was presented to a person buried in the tomb in Bori by Buzmihr Pitiakhsh. In Roman times, rulers often gave valuable things with commemorative inscriptions to their wards. Where is the burial ground of Buzmihr Pitiskhsh? The answer to this question is not known yet.

Thus, there is no burial of the Pitiakhsh in Bori; but in my opinion, the obtained artefacts are of great importance for the study of the history of the Roman period of the kingdom of Iberia, whereas the name of another Pitiakhsh becomes known. Antiquity tombs of the Iberian Pitiakhshes have been studied in Armaziskhevi and the Pitiakhsh with the name Buzmihr is not known there. Therefore, Buzmihr cannot be regarded as Armaziskhevi’s Pitiakhsh. It seems more credible, that he should have been the ruler of the western province of the kingdom of Iberia, Argveti.