Issues of the social, ethnic and confessional structure of the population of the medieval city of Dmanisi (Historical-archaeological research)

Abstract

This work considers the causal relationship of formation and staged variability of the social, ethnic and religious composition of the population at Dmanisi, one of the most significant urban centers of medieval Georgia. The background of the work is based on archaeological explorations conducted at this settlement. The settlement at Dmanisi is a kind of “happy exception”. This is because its territory did not experience occupation after the medieval period, therefore it has the possibility to demonstrate a potentially perfect archaeological picture of medieval urban life. Archaeological excavations started at the site in the 1930s and have continued up until now with occasional breaks.

The solution of some of the most important scientific problems of the urban social system of medieval Dmanisi was somewhat hampered due to the fact, that the increase in the volume of archaeological material and field documentation, obtained over the years, was not supported by their thorough scientific processing, analysis and publication. It should also be borne in mind that in the Soviet and partially post-Soviet historical sciences, public discussions on issues of an ethnic and religious nature regarding the original population of some historical regions was considered an awkward, if not forbidden topic. As part of the study of the above mentioned problems, the author has introduced into scientific use some archaeological material, obtained from various sources but not known to the wider scientific community, as well as materials discovered directly by him during fieldwork (excerpts from archived field documentations, tombstones with epitaphs, ceramics, metal and glass production etc.).

In order to study the issues of the ethnic and religious composition of the population this work provides materials on the architectural peculiarities of household, religious and memorial monuments characteristic of the different ethnic groups and religions of medieval Dmanisi. The dynamics of changes in the ethno-religious picture of the city residents and the factors that determine them have also been presented. New assumptions have been expressed about the spheres of employment, social and ethno-religious differentiation, and the characteristics of the lifestyles of the population of the medieval city of Dmanisi; in many cases, such problems have been considered in a completely new way against the background of the current political and cultural processes in the Kvemo Kartli region and, generally, in Georgia.

Relying on material and logical arguments one idea that was entrenched and, in many cases, stereotyped in the scientific or wider society has been refuted. This was the idea that the growing percentage of Muslims living in Dmanisi were allegedly directly related to the periods of dominance of the Seljuk or other Islamic conquerors in this part of Georgia. However, based on the studies, the real factors determining this phenomenon have been clearly shown. It turns out, that the number of Muslim population reached its peak precisely in the XII-XIII centuries, in the united Georgian state,

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