Trade Relations between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Iberia in the 1st -3 rd cc. AD.

Abstract

1.6.1.1.4. Trade Relations between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Iberia in the 1st -3 rd cc. AD. /K. Shavlakadze/. Bulletin of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences (Moambe). – 2020. – v. 14. – #1. – pp. 155-159. – eng.; abs.: geo., eng.

The paper aims at studying the imported glass unguentaria discovered in the tile graves of Samtavro necropolis excavated at Mtskheta in the eastern part of Georgia (former Kingdom of Iberia), finding parallels of the finds and identifying Iberia’s links and trade relations with the Roman Empire. Glass unguentaria, lacrimarii and flasks represent the homogeneous group of the burial inventory of tile graves dated to the 1st -3rd cc AD; they were presumably imported from Syria which was under the Roman influence at the time. All of the imported glassware is produced by a blowpipe. Besides Iberia these vessels occur on many sites of the Roman Empire and its environs (e.g. Northern Black Sea Area, South Caucasus, etc.). As Mtskheta (the capital of Iberia) was located on the crossroads of ancient trade route connecting east to west, different luxury goods, like unguentaria with frankinsense oil and miniature lacrimarii with perfumes and medicines were delivered to satisfy the cosmetic needs of the local aristocracy. It should be assumed that Syrian products carried by these glass containers were being brought in Iberia via Armenia and would head towards Mtskheta and were eventually distributed to different town centres of the Iberian Kingdom. Ref. 10.

Auth.