Focolari e installazioni da fuoco nell'archeologia del Caucaso meridionale

Abstract

Although large quantities of hearths and fireplaces are usually found in archaeological excavations, this class of installations is still poorly and rarely studied. However, their analysis can provide interesting information about the living habits of the ancient populations, as demonstrated by the example of the numerous firing installations discovered during the excavations carried out in 2013-2016 in the site of Aradetis Orgora in Georgia by the Georgian Italian Shida Kartli Archaeological Project. Specifically, two types of hearth are considered in this article: the type provided with inner projections (lobes) and the hearth consisting of a clayey surface overlying a bedding of pebbles and potsherds. Their contexts of discovery, chronological and geographical distribution are discussed and some hypotheses about their meaning for the communities that produced them are advanced.