ახალი არქეოლოგიური აღმოჩენები ქვემო ქართლში

Abstract

In connection with new construction in 2020, the expedition of the National Museum of Georgia (led by B. Murvanidze) traced the remains of buildings constructed from large mud bricks and a mound of roof tiles on the right bank of the Kura River, two kilometers south of the confluence with the Algeti River, near the present village of Meore Kesalo (Tab. I_1-3). At this location, an ornamental stone was once present (Tab. II₁), and ornamental stone details were subsequently discovered (Tab. II_2-4).
In 2023, the expedition of the National Museum of Georgia carried out smallscale excavations at the site. These excavations revealed a substantial mud brick complex with walls 1.50 meters wide. Numerous flat and grooved tiles were uncovered (Tabs. III-VII). Although only a small portion of the site has been excavated to date, preliminary findings suggest that the complex was a sizable building featuring multiple rooms, corridors, exits, and a courtyard.
The expedition recovered a decorative architectural detail from the river (Tabs. II₁, IX₁). During excavations at the site where the aforementioned stone once stood, additional decorative details were discovered (Tab. IX_2-7). The complex appears to have been destroyed by a severe fire, as evidenced by fire damage on the walls, floors, plaster, and stone architectural details.
The tiles uncovered during the excavations closely resemble those from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (3^rd-4^th centuries) of Eastern Georgia. The decorative elements of the architectural stone details are comparable to the decoration of the capitals (Bolnisi Sioni, 5^th century) and steles (Kazreti Stele, 6^th century) of the early Christian churches of Kvemo Kartli. These parallels suggest that the complex was already in use during the 5^th-6^th centuries.
Determining the precise purpose of the building remains challenging. However, given its large and monumental scale and the significant material and human resources invested in its construction, it is undoubtedly an important site. It is likely that the complex served as the residence or palace of a noble or eristavi, though this remains a preliminary assumption subject to further research.
A child’s burial was found within the mud brick wall of the complex (Tab. VIII₈). The deceased was interred with a bead that, based on parallel materials, dates to the 12^th-13^th centuries (Tab. VIII_9-13). This indicates that in the 12^th-13^th centuries, and possibly even earlier, in the 11^th century, the site was burnt and destroyed and repurposed as a burial ground.
The destruction of the complex near Meore Kesalo is likely linked to the Arab invasions of the 9^th-10^th centuries. During this period, Arab campaigns were largely driven by the defection of Tbilisi emirs from the Caliphate. Notably, in 852-854 and 914, Arab campaigns towards Kartli traversed the right bank of the Kura River, the same area where the complex is located.