Daily life of the people of the South Caucasus at the turn of the Bronze and Iron Ages

general courses

Classroom

The South Caucasus, despite its marginal perception, is an extremely important area for human civilization. Especially in the Bronze and Iron

Ages, when the "Caucasian highlanders" formed a very diverse and technically and economically advanced society. The lecture aims to introduce the audience to this society, primarily from the perspective of the people who formed it and their interrelationships, rather than the typical description of successive archaeological cultures.

The lecture is designed to introduce the audience to the latest results of archaeological, archaeometric and paleoenvironmental research on: the livelihood and way of life of a typical inhabitant of the region, his place in the socio-economic and socio-cultural system, and his relationship with the natural environment. Unlike the neighboring regions of the of the Middle East and the Eurasian steppe, the turn of the 2nd and 1st millennia BC is a time of incredible prosperity for the South Caucasus, both in terms of economic, technological and social development. The regional optimum climatic conditions recorded in geoarchaeological data translated into improved living conditions for the local population, thanks to which agriculture flourished anew, the first urban centers appeared and craft production intensified.

This class will aim to present the most important issues related to the period covered primarily from the perspective of an individual and a small social group.

Among the issues covered in the course of the lecture will be:

- Climate, water and deposits-three factors shaping the human landscape of the South Caucasus

- "Caucasian highlander" of the Bronze and Iron Ages in anthropological terms

- Organization of living space

- Reconstruction of cuisine and diet from the perspective of interdisciplinary research

- Agriculture and livestock farming as bonding elements of the regional economy, but antagonizing society

- Handicrafts: stationary vs itinerant, and its study

- Trade and its extent

- Causes and manifestations of militarization of society

- Social hierarchy and political organization

- Social memory of the region's population in the archaeological record

-Sagona A. 2018, The Archaeology of the Caucasus, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

-Badalyan R., Avetisyan A. 2007, Bronze and Early Iron Age Archaeological Sites in Armenia I. Mt. Aragats and its Surrounding Region. British Archaeological Reports International Series 1697, Oxford.

- Rova, E., Tonussi, M. (red.) 2017, At the Northern Frontier of Near Eastern Archaeology. Recent Research on Caucasia and Anatolia in the Bronze Age (Subartu XXXVIII)

- Reinhold S. 2007, Die Spätbronze und frühe Eisenzeit im Kaukasus. Materielle Kultur, Chronologie und überregionale Beziehungen, Universitätforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie Band 144, Bonn: Dr Rudolf Hambelt GmbH.

-Guarducci G. 2019, Nairi Lands: The Identity of the Local Communities of Eastern Anatolia, South Caucasus and Periphery During the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age. A Reassessment of the Material Culture and the Socio-Economic Landscape, Oxford: Oxbow books.

- Smith A.T., Badalyan R., Avetisyan P., Greene A., Minc L. 2009, The Archaeology and Geography of Ancient Transcaucasian Societies Volume 1. The Foundations of Research and Regional

Survey in the Tsaghkahovit Plain, Armenia, Oriental Institute Publications Volume 134, Chicago

- Issar, A., Zohar, M., 2007, Climate Change- Environment and History of the Near East, Berlin: Springer

- Smith A.T. 2015, The Political Machine: Assembling Sovereignty in the Bronze Age Caucasus, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

-Çifçi A. 2017, The Socio-Economic Organisation of the Urartian Kingdom, Leiden: Brill.

- Narimanishvili, G. (red). 2014, Problems of Early Metal Age Archaeology of Caucasus and Anatolia. Proceedings of International Conference, Tbilisi: Georgian National Museum

Knowledge and skills:

Upon completion of the course, the student:

- knows the specifics of the discussed region and chronological period

- defines the concepts, terms and major issues related to the South Caucasus and paleoenvironmental and archaeometric research

- formulates research questions related to archaeology of the South Caucasus, paleoeconomics and household type archaeology

- applies the acquired knowledge in his own research on the socio-economic conditions of ancient societies

Social competences:

Student:

- understands the dependence of human communities on the environment

- identifies networks of interrelationships between economy, society and human culture

- demonstrates openness to an interdisciplinary approach in the research process

Verification in the form of a written test (oral correction allowed)