UNIQUE OLD GEORGIAN EPITAPH OF THE 2ND HALF OF 10TH AND THE 1ST HALF OF 11TH CENTURIES IN TABAKSKURI

Abstract

This paper presents for the first time the text of an inscribed tombstone discovered within the ruins of the architectural complex of “Ninoqala” at Tabatskuri. On palaeographic grounds, the inscription is dated to the second half of the 10th century or the first half of the 11th century. The epitaph is unique: instead of the standard commemorative epitaph typical of the medieval period, the text is exclusively prohibitive in character, forbidding any interference with the tombstone without the permission of a priest.

On the one hand, this inscription provides additional evidence regarding the nature and function of the “Ninoqala” architectural complex; on the other hand, it raises questions concerning the social status of the epitaph’s owner, presumed to have been a feudal lord governing Tabatskuri. With a high degree of probability, the tombstone belonged to the feudal administrator of Tabatskuri, under whose authority the “Ninoqala” church and the adjacent fortified settlement (or monastery) must have been situated.

Key Words: Tabatskuri; Tombstone; Inscription; Epitaph; Curse.