Ancient Metal Production Site in the Chorokhi Basin in the Vicinity of the Apsaros Fortress
Ancient Metal Production Site in the Chorokhi Basin in the Vicinity of the Apsaros Fortress

Author(s): Nana Khakhutaishvili, Shota Mamuladze
Subject(s): Archaeology
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Colchis; Chorokhi iron; slag; smelting
Summary/Abstract: In this work we tried to show the material connected to the ancient iron metallurgy which was revealed and studied on the territory of historic Colchis, in the vicinity of Gonio-Apsaros site in the Chorokhi gorge. Studies on the ancient centre of iron metallurgy in the Chorokhi basin began as early as 1960s. On the left bank of the river Chorokhi, in the territory of Charnali and Gonio farms, several iron-smelting workshops sector were revealed which were conventionally labelled “Charnali I”, “Charnali II” and “Charnali III”. Simultaneously, the archaeological excavations began at Gonio-Apsaros site on the new Black Sea terrace, on the territory of a dune settlement. In 2001–2002 on the archaeological study of the iron production centres in the Chorokhi gorge was renewed. The excavations have revealed an iron-smelting workshop conventionally named as “Avgia I” with two furnaces (“Avgia I-1” and “Avgia І-2”). One kilometre away from this site, in 2002 – another two iron smelting workshops were studied “Khopcho I” with two furnaces (“Khopcho I-1”, “Khopcho I-2”) and “Khopcho II” (furnace “Khopcho II”). All components necessary for metallurgical production are present in this region: at a distance of some kilometres from the centre of this manufacturing area are copious deposits of magnetitic sands on the Eastern Black Sea littoral, the local forest massifs provided for the production of any kind of charcoal required for bloomery furnaces and in the same region there are abundant deposits of refractory clay. This area thus offered all the conditions for starting large scale metallurgical production.

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