The spread of christianity in Abkhazia according to the spatial analysis of monuments in GIS in the late antique and medieval periods

DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2024-1-30-352-383

View or download the article (Rus)

About the Authors

Galina V. Trebeleva

Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
19, Dmitriya Ulyanova str., Moscow, 117292, Russia,
E-mail: trgv@mail.ru

Suram M. Sakania

Abkhazian Institute of Humanitarian Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia,
44, Aidgylara str., Sukhum, 384900, Abkhazia,
E-mail: suram_sakania@mail.ru

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the spatial location of temples in Abkhazia and reconstruction based on the results of the ways of penetration and spread of Christianity in different chronological stages: the period of late antiquity and the first penetration of Christianity into the territory of Colchis (IV–V centuries); the period of maximum Byzantine influence in the era of Justinian the Great and the period that following it (VI–VII centuries)—the period traditionally considered the stages of the official adoption of Christianity in Abkhazia; and the period of the maximum flourishing of the Abkhazian kingdom. The analysis is carried out on the basis of a GIS created by the authors, according to field surveys, including 149 temples. The conducted spatial analysis allowed us to answer the questions of how quickly Christianity began to spread across the territory of Abkhazia, which areas turned out to be the most susceptible to the new religion. It was traditionally believed that Christianity entered Abkhazia with the Roman military, through the fortresses of the Pontic Limes, built along the coast. However, the analysis showed that the trade caravan routes were also an important way of spreading Christianity. For the same reason, we see several hotbeds both in the west of the republic and in the east. But in the center, where the Bzyb ridge blocks access to the main passageways, traditional religion has been preserved for longer, almost two centuries. This factor influenced the spread of Christianity in the subsequent period. In general, the Justinian period was characterized by a significant increase in the number of churches, on the one hand, the standardization of its external form, on the other, and on the third, the complication of the liturgical service, which was reflected in the more complex organization of the internal space of churches. In the subsequent period, these trends are intensifying. Separate architectural schools are emerging. Thus, the spatial analysis of both the location of temples and the distribution of certain architectural features in space reflect the processes of Christianization and development of the Church, which was not reflected in written sources.

Keywords

GIS, spatial analysis, temples, Abkhazia, late antiquity, Middle Ages

References

  1. Ajinjal E.K. On the issue of the penetration of Christianity in Abkhazia. Proceedings of the Abkhazian State Museum. Iss. 5. Sukhumi, 1980. P. 152–165 (in Russian).
  2. Ajinjal E.K. From the history of Christianity in Abkhazia. Sukhum-Abkhazian Diocese. Sukhum: Stratophil Publishing House, 2000. Web resource: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Istorija_Tserkvi/iz-istorii-hristianstva-abhazii/#source (accessed 02.05.2024) (in Russian).
  3. Archpriest Serafim Sokolov. The history of Eastern and Western Christianity (IV–XX centuries). Textbook. Moscow: Publishing House of the Moscow Institute of Spiritual Culture, 2007. 257 p. (in Russian).
  4. Argun A.V. Problems of localizing points from ancient “Peripheries” in the northeastern Black Sea region. Historical, cultural, interethnic, religious and political ties of Crimea with the Mediterranean region and the countries of the East: Proceedings of the IV International Scientific Conference (Sevastopol, October 6–10, 2020). V. 1. Moscow: IOS RAS, 2020. P. 16–24 (in Russian).
  5. Brilliantov A.I. Emperor Constantine the Great and the Edict of Milan, 313. St. Petersburg: Oleg Abyshko Publishing House, 2006. 336 p. (in Russian).
  6. Dubois de Monpereux F. Voyage autour du Caucase chez les Tcherkesses et les Abkhases en Colchide, en Georgie, en Armenie et en Crimee. Paris, 1839. V. 1. P. 210–211. Atlas. Neuchatel, 1843. Ser. II. Pl VI, 6; Ser. III. Pl. IV, 3 (in French).
  7. Harnak A. Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten: I–II Bd. Leipzig, 1924. 561 s. (in German).
  8. Karmov T.M. Khashupsin fortress in the context of studying the Early Medieval antiquities of Abkhazia: problems and prospects. Historical, philosophical, political and legal sciences, cultural studies and art criticism. Questions of theory and practice. Tambov: Gramota, 2012. No. 11. Part 2. P. 106–108 (in Russian).
  9. Khrushkova L.G. The new octogonal Church in Sebastopolis in Abkhazia and its liturgical structure. The Liturgy, architecture and art of the Byzantine world. Proceedings of the XVIII International Congress of Byzantinists and other materials dedicated to the memory of fr. John (Meyendorff). St. Petersburg, 1995. P. 201–235 (in Russian).
  10. Khrushkova L.G. Early Christian monuments of the Eastern Black Sea region (IV–VII centuries). Moscow: Nauka, 2002. 500 p. (in Russian).
  11. Klemeshova M.E., Trebeleva G.V., Kizilov A.S., Glazov K.A., Sokolov S.V., Yurkov G.Y. Application of the Method of A.A. Bobrinsky to Study the Brick Paste Composition from Eastern Abkhazian Medieval Temples and Fortresses. Springer Proceedings in Earth and Environmental Sciences. Cham: Springer. Geoarchaeology and Archaeological Mineralogy, 2021. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-16544-3_17.
  12. Kobakhia B.S., Khrushkova L.G., Shamba S.M. The new Early Christian Church on the settlement of Gyuenos (Abkhazia). Bulletin of Ancient History, 1987. No. 1. P. 126–146 (in Russian).
  13. Lekvinadze V.A. Gantiada Basilica. Soviet Archeology, 1970. No. 3. P. 162–174 (in Russian).
  14. Lekvinadze V.A. On the buildings of Justinian in Western Georgia. The Byzantine Chronicle, 1973. V. 34. P. 169–186 (in Russian).
  15. Lordkipanidze O., Brakmann H. Iberia II (Georgien). Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum. 1994. No. 17. S. 70–106 (in German).
  16. Notitiae episcopatuum Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae. Texte critique, introduction et notes. Paris, 1981. 521 p. (in Italian).
  17. Peeters P. Les débuts du christianisme en Géorgie d’après les sources hagiographiques’. Analecta. Bollandiana 50, 1932. P. 5–58 (in French).
  18. Pishchulina V.V., Komarova S.E. Features of the spatial organization of the monument of the Middle Ages of the VII–VIII centuries. The fortress of Khashupse, Republic of Abkhazia. Engineering Bulletin of the Don, 2022. No. 7. Web resource: http://ivdon.ru/ru/magazine/archive/n7y2022/7821 (accessed 02.05.2024) (in Russian).
  19. Ruggieri Vincenzo S.I. The IV Century Greek Episcopal Lists in the Mardin Syriac 7 (Olim Mardin Orth. 309/9). Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 1993. V. 59, II. P. 315–3.
  20. Shamba S.M. Guenos-1. Tbilisi: Metsniereba, 1988. 133 p. (in Russian).
  21. Shamba S.M. Excavations at the Guenos settlement. Archaeological discoveries in Abkhazia (1986–1987). Tbilisi: Metsniereba, 1990. P. 16–30 (in Russian).
  22. Shamba S.M., Shamba G.K. Excavations of ancient Gyuenos. Archaeological discoveries of 1981–1982 in Abkhazia. Tbilisi: Metsniereba, 1985. P. 19–22 (in Russian).
  23. Skakov A.Yu., Jopua A.I., Hakobyan A.V., Endoltseva E.Yu. Early Byzantine temple on the ancient settlement of Hyenos (Abkhazia): new findings. Architectural Archaeology. No. 2. Moscow: IA RAS, 2020. P. 39–50 (in Russian). DOI: 10.25681/IARAS.2020.978-5-94375-327-5.39-50.
  24. Skakov A.Yu., Skakova I.V., Jopua A.I. The plinth of the early Medieval temple in Hyenos (Ochamchira, Republic of Abkhazia): publication of excavation materials 2019–2021. ByzantinoCaucasica. Collection of articles. Moscow, 2021. P. 9–54 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31696/978-5-907384-95-8-009-053.
  25. Sventsitskaya I.S. The Secret writings of the first Christians. Moscow, 1980. 202 p. (in Russian).
  26. Trapsh M.M. Ancient Sukhumi. Works in 4 volumes. V. 2. Sukhumi: Alashara, 1969. 375 p. (in Russian).
  27. Trebeleva G.V., Glazov K.A., Yurkov V.G., Kizilov A.S. Archaeological GIS of Northwestern Colchis: a tool for the preservation and research of objects of historical and cultural heritage. InterCarto. InterGIS. Geoinformation support for sustainable development of territories: Proceedings of the International Conference. Moscow: MSU, Faculty of Geography, 2022. V. 28. Part 2. P. 484–498 (in Russian). DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2022-2-28-484-498.
  28. Trebeleva G.V., Kizilov A.S. Once again to the question of the “Pontic Limes”, or the geographical and geopolitical principles of the location of ancient fortifications of the Black Sea coast in ancient times. Ancient and traditional cultures in interaction with the environment: problems of historical reconstruction. Proceedings of the I International Interdisciplinary Conference. Chelyabinsk: Chelyabinsk State University, 2021. P. 51–60 (in Russian).
  29. Trebeleva G.V., Klemeshova M.E., Skakova I.V., Jopua A.I. Plinth from the temple in Hyenos (Guenos): the results of test studies using the method of A.A. Bobrinsky and X-ray phase analysis. History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Caucasus, 2024. V. 20. No. 4 (in Russian).
  30. Trebeleva G.V., Sakania S.M., Shvedchikova T.Yu., Yapryntsev A.D. On the problem of dating burials from the necropolis of the Markulsky settlement at the temple (Abkhazia, IV–XIV centuries): based on the analysis of inventory, jewelry, as well as correlation of inventory and noninventory burials, their stratigraphy and isotope analyses. A thing in the context of a funeral rite. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference. Moscow, 2020. P. 242–250 (in Russian).
  31. Trebeleva G.V., Yurkov G.Yu., Gorlov Yu.V., Tsvinaria I.I., Agumaa A.S., Kaitan Sh.G. The use of physico-chemical methods in the research of construction technology in medieval Abkhazia and the problems of dating. Brief Reports of the Institute of Archaeology, 2014. Iss. 232. P. 219–227 (in Russian).

For citation: Trebeleva G.V., Sakania S.M. The spread of christianity in Abkhazia according to the spatial analysis of monuments in GIS in the late antique and medieval periods. InterCarto. InterGIS. Moscow: MSU, Faculty of Geography, 2024. V. 30. Part 1. P. 352–383. DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2024-1-30-352-383 (in Russian)