The Crucial Episode of Lazic War (541–562) – Petra’s Third Besiegement and Its Fall. (An Overview of the Recent Archaeological Evidence) (original) (raw)
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2024
In the present article we discuss one of the key and final episodes of the military confrontation between the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Iran which took place in the Lazica Kingdom, in particular, liberation in 551 by the Byzantines of the last foothold-the Petra fortress. This is examined on the basis of analysis of material obtained as a result of archaeological excavations in Petra-Tsikhisdziri (south western Georgia) carried out at different times and mostly in 2016-2020. Recent archaeological discoveries have produced more knowledge about the besiegement of Petra. This includes information on who was defending the fortress, what the garrison looked like, how it was equipped and supplied, how the siege was developed and finalized, etc. The significance of the findings and their consideration together with the written sources are very important to finally identify the city-fortress Petra, reinforced by the Byzantines, with modern Tsikhisdziri-an issue which is still debatable among the scholars.
in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 46 (2016): 277-303. This paper aims to provide the first reassessment of the available documentation concerning the Nabataean-Roman site of Sabrah, situated 6.5 km south of Petra. A major sanctuary developped at the latest between the first and early fourth century AD, together with major adjacent structures such as a bath-house and a theatre, in a small oasis situated on a track joining Humayma and Wadi Araba to the Nabataean capital, and supplied by spring and rainfall water. For the first time since 1828, a 1:50 top plan of its visible remains has been drawn. Along with a general description and surface ceramic material, it gives a first general image of the site and serves as the basis for renewed analysis.
Ancient Metal Production Site in Chorokhi Basin in the Vicinity of Apsaros Fortress
2024
In the present article we discuss one of the key and final episodes of the military confrontation between the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Iran which took place in the Lazica Kingdom, in particular, liberation in 551 by the Byzantines of the last foothold-the Petra fortress. This is examined on the basis of analysis of material obtained as a result of archaeological excavations in Petra-Tsikhisdziri (south western Georgia) carried out at different times and mostly in 2016-2020. Recent archaeological discoveries have produced more knowledge about the besiegement of Petra. This includes information on who was defending the fortress, what the garrison looked like, how it was equipped and supplied, how the siege was developed and finalized, etc. The significance of the findings and their consideration together with the written sources are very important to finally identify the city-fortress Petra, reinforced by the Byzantines, with modern Tsikhisdziri-an issue which is still debatable among the scholars.