More than 200 people were entombed in the grave; only the arm and leg bones along

with the skulls were found in the pit

A Colchis sepulcher has been discovered in a courtyard of a resident of the

village of Tsaishi of Zugdidi region in Georgia. The sepulcher dates back to 8th
century B.C. It is a burial pit containing unique articles. Speaking to Novosti-
Gruzia news agency, Revaz Papuashvili, head of the archeological party of the
Center of Archeological Studies under the Georgian Academy of Sciences, said that
the resident of Tsaishi Revaz Tupuria had found the first historical item (a
bronze bracelet) in 1997. Mr. Tupuria and members of his family later came across
similar finds at the courtyard of his house. Finally, Mr. Tupuria informed the
staff of a historical museum in Zugdidi.

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Having conducted a test excavation on location, archeologists became very keen to

continue their research of the burial pit. Full-scale excavation kicked off 11
days ago when the authorities of the city of Zugdidi allocated 5 thousand lari
(more than $2.7 thousand) for the project.

Archeologists discovered more than 600 articles in the burial pit located 1.6
meters deep in the ground. The articles date back to 8th century B.C. Among the
items found in the pit are bronze sculptures of the ram and ox, the sculpture of a
woman with a child on horseback, numerous golden pendants, pins, brooches, and
clasps. Architects also found about a thousand beads made of cornelian, opal, jet,
glass, and gold. Five belts of the central Transcaucasian type were also
discovered in the pit. The belts are embossed with various designs depicting local
life.

According to Revaz Papuashvli, all the decorations are a prototype of the Colchis
jewelry of the early ancient period. As regards the beads, part of them might have
been imported from Egypt and Syria. The burial pit also contains a number of
bronze axes, arrowheads, household items, and several clay vases in good
condition.

According to Mr. Papuashvili, more than 200 people were entombed in the grave.
Only the arm and leg bones along with the skulls were found in the pit. The above
way of internment complies with the funeral rites of ancient residents of Colchis
described by Greek historians e.g. Apollonius of Rhodes. The Greek myth about
Argonauts says that the residents of Colchis wrapped their dead in the ox hides
and left them hanging on the trees until the bodies decomposed to skeletons. After
that they buried the bones of extremities and skulls in a common grave, and burned
down the rest of the remains.

The area of the current excavation in Tsaishi is 60 square meters. According to

head of the archeological party, it will take another week to take full stock of
the finds. When the stocktaking is completed, the items will be transferred to the
history museum in Zugdidi.

Mr. Papuashvili believes the excavation should be continued. “This locality has
similar sepulchers scattered around the area of one hectare, and scientists are in
for new discoveries,” said he.