The First Evidence of Burials from Samshvilde A Preliminary Archaeological and Bioarchaeological Study

Abstract

Samshvilde is one of the most remarkable archaeological complexesin southern Georgia and in Caucasia in general. Its convenientgeographical position has attracted populations since the StoneAge, but the city gained its major political and economic powerin the medieval period, when it became the center of the wholeregion. Its location in the historic Kvemo Kartli province, near thesouthern branch of the Silk Road, contributed to its rapid development,and the promontory on which it was built allowed for itseasy defense. From 2014 to 2019 two archaeological sections werestudied on the site: the citadel, or main fortification system, andthe area near the Sioni cathedral that is dated to the 8th century.Excavations inside the citadel walls aimed to clarify the stratigraphyof this area, and in the Sioni section the focus was on findingthe city cemetery.During the summers of 2016 and 2017 human remains were exhumedfrom the Sioni section at Samshvilde. A bioarchaeologicaland brief mortuary analysis of graves no. 2 and 4 is presented here.Fieldwork is still under way in the cemetery, therefore it is too soonto have a global image of its features, such as typical burial practices,or a demographic profile of the population, but we hope topursue this analysis in upcoming years.