Phasis From Arabs to the Russian Empire (Review of the Written Sources)

Abstract

The history antique town of Phasis includes three millennia. Its primary location still is an enigma for Georgian archaeology. The location of the first Hellenic colony is still obscure. We have no researches, which proves the location of Phasis as it was during the period, when Strabo was living, but contemporary researches indicate on the fact that the history of Phasis has continuous. Fieldworks are mainly focused on the identification of Antique period Phasis, but most of publications finishes on Late Antique period. Written sources about the second part of the chronology, which includes the period from VII century AD till XIX century are scattered sporadically and are not unified into a whole research. An important role in the formation of the ecosystem of Kolkheti lowland has the river Rioni and its affluences. River Rioni and its affluences connected the sea and hinterland. It is obvious that such an important artery would not lose its trade economic function during the Middle Ages as well. It is clear that sailing on river Rioni was possible to the direction of the flow, but sailing to the opposite of the flow from Poti to Kutaisi is controversial. Despite the fact that there is a notice to Jean Chardin about the using of Ottoman galleys were used for sailing to the opposite of the flow of river Rioni (Jean Chardin 1975:241).