Archaeology in Southern Caucasus: Perspectives from Georgia

The land of Georgia, nestled in the eastern corner of the Black Sea, has assumed a certain fabled status, as indeed has much of the territory of southern Caucasus. To the Graeco-Roman mind, Georgia was perceived as the end of all the earth where magic, sea travel, exoticness, and many more concepts besides combined to conjure up a mythical land in the imagination of the ancients. For many decades now the work of local archaeologists has brought into sharper focus these frontier societies. Whether through the excavation of settlements or burials, hill forts or cave sites, the antiquity of Georgia is now more tangible. Nonetheless, barriers remain in fully appreciating the richness of Georgia's cultural heritage. Language and a limited amount of accessible literature have precluded a wider readership. This volume of collected essays, ranging from the earliest settlements to the Medieval Period, is seen as a contribution to the dissemination process. The twenty-five papers - for the most part brief and heavily illustrated - provide a useful introduction to recent archaeological investigations in the land of Georgia.