Alazani Ialoilutapa Culture
Georgia Museums, Sighnaghi National MuseumAlazani Ialoilutapa Culture
The burials excavated in eastern Khakheti (Arkhiloskalo, Dedoplistskaro, Mukuzani) yielded very interesting indigenous inventories: light red and grey pottery, long-lipped clay jars, jars with liquid wring out, tubed wine pitchers, short-necked double-handled large jars, large pitcher-shaped jars, three-legged plates, iron tools and weapons, jewellery made of metal, glass, bone and cornelian. The identified burial rituals are of great interest too that had no analogy, like all the discovered archaeological materials, in any of the preceding local cultures. Indeed, the prevalent area for this culture is on the territory of contemporary Azerbaijan. Whereas, its original roots can be traced to ancient Northern Iran. Per its appellation of origin the culture is called laloilutapa culture.
In Kakheti this culture dates back to the mid 1st c. B.C. It is considered to have penetrated into Georgia from South-East by an outlandish ethnos. At the turn of the ages the culture vanished abruptly, similar to its origin, without leaving any trace. At the turn of the 2nd and 1st cc., according to Strabo, 26 tribes speaking totally different languages made up the Albanian State. It is supposed that the spread of Ialoilutapa culture on the Kakheti territory can be attributed to the expansion of the newly created Albania into politically weakened Iberia's territory by that time. Another reason for the appearance of new ethnic elements in Kakheti is the climate change. Permanent droughts caused by increased warming and decreased precipitation resulted in dropping the number of Kakheti population.
Iberia enhanced in the 1st c. must have regained its lost eastern territories. It is noteworthy that an excavated burial pit at the vilage Kvemokedi of province Dedoplistskaro revealed a Gallic Empire type bronze helmet characteristic for the Augustus epoch. It prompts us to think that it may have ended up in historic Kambechovani in 36 B.C. when the Roman army sent by Antonius to fight against the Parthians entered Albania together with the army of King of Kartli Pharnavaz II.
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