Black Sea Coast - The Settlement Area of Proto-Georgian Tribes

Abstract

Ancient (Greco-Roman) texts and epigraphic materials represent an extremely important source for studying the history of ancient Colchis, Lazica, and Iberia, as the Caucasus region was first identified precisely in these Ancient sources.
We intend to reconstruct the historical-geographical space of the present-day Autonomous Republic of Adjara based on information provided by Greco-Roman sources. Our study will focus on the distribution and interrelation of parallel toponyms and ethnonyms, their identification, and onomastic analysis. Additionally, we aim to develop normative recommendations for certain toponyms, determine their Georgian equivalents, and explore the motivation behind the naming of geographical locations. Furthermore, we will illustrate how borders have changed over time, particularly the boundary that, according to Ancient sources, also represented the division between Europe and Asia. Regarding the chronological boundaries, the earliest period we consider is that of Homer’s poems (Iliad, Odyssey – 1st millennium BC), while the later boundary is the Late Antique period, approximately the first half of the 6th century AD.
The innovative aspect of this research lies in the fact that the Adjara region has not previously been studied from this perspective as an independent subject. Based on the analysis of data from individual ancient authors, we also plan to create hypothetical reconstructions of conditional maps and supplement the collected information with corresponding cartographic materials.
The study and systematization of Adjara region toponyms in this form inherently suggest perspectives for further research and expansion of the study area. In the future, we intend to continue working in this direction and conduct research on toponymy across the entire territory of Georgia using the aforementioned methodology.