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Northern outpost of the Caliphate: maintaining military forces in a hostile environment (the Dariali Gorge in the Central Caucasus in Georgia)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2015

Eberhard W. Sauer ,
Konstantin Pitskhelauri ,
Kristen Hopper ,
Anthi Tiliakou ,
Catriona Pickard ,
Dan Lawrence ,
Annamaria Diana ,
Elena Kranioti  and
Catherine Shupe
Eberhard W. Sauer
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK (Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk)
Konstantin Pitskhelauri
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 1 Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue, Tbilisi 0179, Georgia (Email: kotepi2002@yahoo.com)
Kristen Hopper
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, County Durham DH1 3LE, UK (Email: k.a.hopper@durham.ac.uk)
Anthi Tiliakou
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK (Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk)
Catriona Pickard
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK (Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk)
Dan Lawrence
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, County Durham DH1 3LE, UK (Email: k.a.hopper@durham.ac.uk)
Annamaria Diana
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK (Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk)
Elena Kranioti
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK (Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk)
Catherine Shupe
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK (Email: eberhard.sauer@ed.ac.uk)
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Abstract

The strategic significance of the Dariali Gorge, the main pass across the central Caucasus, has long been recognised. It forms a border today as it has done for much of the past 2000 years. But how was an effective military force sustained in an isolated Alpine environment? Excavations, osteoarchaeology and landscape survey have revealed that the Early Middle Ages saw as much investment in controlling this key route as there was in Antiquity. Guarded by the same Muslim-led garrison for at least a quarter of a millennium, its survival in a harsh environment was made possible through military effort and long-distance food supplies.

Keywords

GeorgiaCaucasusLate Antiquityearly medievalfortificationisotope analysisosteoarchaeology
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 89 , Issue 346 , August 2015 , pp. 885 - 904
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2015 

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