Silver: archaeological discoveries in Georgia

In the exhibition on Georgian Treasury in the Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, silver ware from archaeological sites in the region are on display. Georgia is more famous for its gold found in archaeological sites, but there was also quite a range of silver.

The silver exhibits include vessels and plates, such as the Colchian phiale (a shallow cup, much like a saucer), situla (a bucket-shaped vessel), and Achaemenid Persian vase.

A phiale, or saucer, discovered in Armaziskhevi, burial site 6 is thought to be from the Roman Empire or the Kingdom of Kartli (Iberia). It includes a medallion of the bust of a bearded male.

Another phiale from the Armaziskhevi site, burial 7, is from the 2^nd century, and shows the medallion of goddess Fortuna or Amalthea with a cornucopia (funnel of fruit). Separate parts of the relief are gilt.

Probably the best example of the quality of silver ware in the exhibition is the belt found in Vani, burial 24, which is dated around the 4^th century BCE. The centre shows a man lying on a couch in the company of a wine-bearer and a musician. On one side of the belt is a hunting scene, and on the other side is a row of animals. At both ends, which would be the front waist, there are figures of sphinxes.

www.museum.ge

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