Unique Grakliani inscription
By Mariam Chanishvili
Tuesday, July 26
The unique inscription of Grakaliani, discovered by the Tbilisi State University archaeological expedition, is one of the oldest inscriptions ever found. A US laboratory believes that the inscription was made around XI-X centuries BC.
According to the leader of the expedition and the head of the Institute of Archeology of Georgia’s State University, Vakhtang Licheli, the Grakaliani Hill arose special interest because it is the oldest in Georgia. A Tbilisi State University team started excavation works in 2008, where the field practice base was formed for university students.
The Tbilisi State University expedition, which continues to lead the excavations, decided to send the samples to the Beta Laboratory in Miami in order to clarify the date of the writing. The US report reads that the inscriptions were made 2700-3000 years ago. According to them, from the Stone Age to the Antique Period, there was a continuous cycle of development on the territory.
The Acting Rector of the Tbilisi State University, Professor Darejan Tvaltvadze, said that this discovery could make significant changes in the history of writing worldwide.
“The US laboratory's report reaffirmed the uniqueness of the Grakliani inscription,” said Tvaltvadze.
The writing was inscribed on the wall of the temple and dedicated to a fertility goddess. The archeologists said the writing had no analogue and it would become "an extremely interesting piece” for foreign scientists and explorers.
Among the discoveries, there is an iconic mill where special bread was made to sacrifice to the gods. One of the most important discoveries is a gold disk from the V-IV century BC, which is the analogue of one discovered in Souza City (Iran).
The Grakliani Hill depicts a non–stop 300,000 year chain of human development from the Stone Age to the Antique period. Ten layers of the site have been excavated, through which various ancient weapons, worshiping icons and pharmacological devices were uncovered.
