Caucasian Albania

The Caucasian Archaeology of the Holy Land investigates the complete corpus of available literary, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of the Armenian, Georgian and Caucasian Albanian Christian communities’ activity in the Holy Land during the Byzantine and the Early Islamic periods. For the first time, the book presents an integrated approach to literary sources and numerous archaeological evidences, previously
unpublished or revised. The study explores the place of each of these Caucasian communities in ancient Palestine through synthesis of literary and material evidence and seeks to understand the interrelations between them and the influence they had on the national churches of the Caucasus.

Based on phonological research of 37 Northwest and Northeast Caucasian languages, the author proposes for them an original and phonetically complete generalized featural alphabet shaped via peculiar usage of the morphological principles of construction of millennial South Caucasian alphabets. Unlike the phonetically inconsistent Cyrillic alphabets currently in use, it has exceptional properties for precise and alphabetically unequivocal rendition of all phonetic peculiarities of the North Caucasian languages which possess the largest consonant inventory among all languages of the world.

This volume, the third in the series on Daghestan, contains thirteen papers enhancing awareness of Daghestan’s rich heritage as a major center of Islamic scholarship and of the immense quantity of manuscripts. The book opens with a more general review on Daghestan philology, a memorial essay to Prof. Gammer, who sadly passed away in 2013. The other articles introduce the reader not only to the manuscripts and printed publications in Arabic, but also in other Islamic languages used in Daghestan. For example, Persian and Turkic inscriptions and manuscripts have hardly been studied before this publication. Local languages written in the Arabic alphabet, known as •'3fajam•, are of great interest to Daghestani scholars. The final part of the volume is dedicated to the history of the study of Arabic culture in Daghestan.

As opposed to established opinions the author proves the beginning of reign of Arsaсid dynasty in the Caucasian Albania at the beginning of 4th century and connects their accession with the Nisibin peace treaty of 298. On the basis of the analysis of written sources the author dates time of reign of the first king Vachagan I The Brave c.300 – c.336 AD, defines time of reigns of other Albanian kings up to the last king Vachagan III The Pious (c.485 – c.510).

A significant political influence of Sasanian Iran on Caucasian Albania gives reasons to consider the spread of Middle Persian language and writing among Albanian nobility and au�thorities. This process contributed by the existence of close dynastic ties between the Arsacids of Albania and the Sasanian royal family at least since from the reign of King Urnayr (ca. 350–375) up the abolition of Albanian kingdom at the beginning of the 6th century. Written sources provide
the correspondence of the rulers of Albania, Armenia, Iberia with the Sasanians and the written decrees of the shāhanshāhs sent to the Transcaucasian provinces of Iran, which indirectly indicates
the spread of Middle Persian language and writing here.
Currently, there are three known unique gem-seals that date back to the end of the 4th and
the beginning of the 6th century and belonged to the representatives of higher secular and church authorities. These are the seals of the King of Albania Aswahen, Crown Prince Asay and the Great Catholicos of Albania and Balasakan. They are of great interest for the study of cultural and political ties between Sasanian Iran and Albania, Albanian sphragistics. The title inscriptions on these official seals are made in pārsīg (pahlavi), which shows the role of Middle Persian language
and writing among the highest Albanian nobility and the highest Christian clergy of the country, clearly indicates the huge political and cultural influence of Sasanian Iran on Caucasian Albania. These monuments of glyptics show that Middle Persian language and writing had the official
status in Early Medieval Albania.

This article examines the profound political and religious changes that affected Caucasian Iberia in the second half of the third century CE. The advent of a new dynasty known as the Mihranids may be dated to the early 260s. The cross analysis of literary, epigraphic and numismatic sources reveals a pro-Sasanian turn of the Iberian kingship leaving the Roman alliance. The Mazdean and Manichean documentation allows to consider the atmosphere of spiritual effervescence that animated the Iberian court where several missionary religions were engaged in competition.

Revised and corrected version, dated October 25, 2019 (working paper).

Access to the original paper published in საქართველოს ისტორიის ინსტიტუტის შრომები / Institute of Georgian History Proceedings, XIV, Tbilisi: Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Humanities, 2018, p. 42-66 :
URL : http://geohistory.humanities.tsu.ge/en/procedings-institute-of-georgian-history/83-shromebi.html

Основываясь на исследованиях по фонетике северокавказских языков, автор выявляет структурное несоответствие между исключительно богатым консонантизмом данных языков и их нынешними кириллическими алфавитами и, выдвигая идею о необходимости создания собственных и независимых систем письма для 37 западно- и восточнокавказских языков, находящихся под угрозой исчезновения, предлагает совершенно новую, оригинальную и обобщенную алфавитную систему, наделенную высшей степенью графемно-фонемной взаимооднозначности и основанную на принципах знакоформирования и морфологическом применении элементов графики трех исторических алфавитов Южного Кавказа и Армянского Нагорья.

Based on phonological research of 37 Northwest and Northeast Caucasian languages, the author proposes for them an original and phonetically complete generalized featural alphabet shaped via peculiar usage of the morphological principles of construction of millennial South Caucasian alphabets. Unlike the phonetically inconsistent Cyrillic alphabets currently in use, it has exceptional properties for precise and alphabetically unequivocal rendition of all phonetic peculiarities of the North Caucasian languages which possess the largest consonant inventory among all languages of the world.

The discovery on Mt. Sinai of two palimpsest manuscripts written in the script of the Caucasian Albanians1
has dramatically increased our knowledge of the language of the Caucasian Albanian people and their alphabet.
On the basis of an international edition project that has been jointly undertaken by Z. Aleksidze, J.-P.
Mahe, W. Schulze, M. Tandashvili and the present author, nearly all details concerned have been worked
out with sufficient certainty to give a thorough account of the inventory of letters and the sound system reflected
by them. The present paper addresses the main lines of the structure of the Caucasian Albanian alphabet
as established in the course of the edition project.

Первый выпуск продолжающегося научного издания «Albania Caucasica» — новой площадки международного сотрудничества исследователей — включает в себя избранные материалы, которые были представлены и апробированы на международных форумах «Кавказская Албания и этнокультурное наследие» (Ереван, 2007 г.), «Кавказская Албания и лезгинские народы: историко-культурное наследие и современность» (Москва, 2008 г.) и «Место и роль Кавказской Албании в истории Азербайджана и Кавказа» (Баку, 2011 г.), а также статьи, написанные специально для этого сборника. В работах авторов из Азербайджана, Армении, Грузии, России и Франции затрагиваются важнейшие аспекты политической и этнической истории Кавказской Албании, проблемы ее письменности, религии и культуры.

Translated title: "Turkic population of Caucasian Albania in Sassanian period (5th-7th centuries CE)"
The article deals with the evidence of earliest emergence of Eurasian nomads in the South Caucasus and their penetration to this region. Data of written sources are reviewed to prove the appearance of Turks in the region before traditionally accepted date of 370 CE at the time of the first coming of Huns to the region. Various information from written historical monuments is scrutinized to highlight the place of Turkic nomads in the ethno-political structure of Caucasian Albania. Origins and locations of some important place names in Caucasian Albania are clarified.

Статья посвящена изучению многочисленных знаков строителей Дербента, относящихся к середине VI в. н.э. Автор дает их типологию, предпринимает попытку их интерпретации и определения семантики. На основе изучения знаков строителей рассматриваются вопросы организации и процесса строительных работ.

Abstract: The author offers a critical investigation of the image of Caucasian Albania seen through Roman eyes. Particular attention is paid to “Geography” by Strabo associated with evidence given by Posidonius of Apamea, and Theophanes of Mitylene. The text of the cursus honorum of Neratius Pansa from Saepinum is used.

Автор предлагает критический анализ сведений письменных
источников по Кавказской Албании, восходящих к римлянам. Особое внимание уделяется источникам «Географии» Страбона, связанным со свидетельствами древнегреческого философа Посидония из Апамеи, жившего в Риме, и историка Феофана из Милитены, друга Помпея. Привлекается эпиграфический материал, содержащийся в посвятительной надписи римского консула Нерация Пансы.

Place names with roots Arb / Alb / Alp are across Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania.

And the Albanian Tongue (Shqip) version of this paper is here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19JH2_hE-gluUErP3bwfXNTkywOfyYglj/view?usp=sharing

The paper analyses a gem from the collection of Sasanian intaglios belonging to M.A. Pirousan and published by Ph. Gignoux. The author reads the Middle Persian inscription as follows: ’hcwhyny ZY ’ld’n MLK’ (Āhzwahēn i, Ārdān šāh) “Āhzwahēn, King of Albania”. According to the written sources (Koryun, Khorenaci, Dasxuranci-Kalankatuaci), Āhzwahēn ruled in the late 4th – early 5th c. and was contemporary of Šāhānšāh Yazdgird I (399-421) and possibly Šāhānšāh Varhrān V (421-439) and even Yazdgird I (439-457). He was the son of a sister of Šāhānšāh Šāpūr III (383-388) and a grandson of Šāpūr II (309-379). By permission of Āhzwahēn, King of Caucasian Albania, and Jeremiah, Bishop of Albania, original Albanian system of writing was invented in the early 5th c.
The nešan-symbol in the centre of the gem may be considered as Āhzwahēn’s royal emblem, and perhaps the emblem of other Arsacido-Sasanian governors of Caucasian Albania. This symbol, called Halbmond über gestürztem Wagen“ (R. Göbl), “Mondwagenwappen” (H. Jänichen) or “le symbole des Ephtalites” (E. Specht), “signe hephtalite” (R. Ghirshman), “Hephtalitentamga, “das Tamga der Alxon” (R. Göbl), is not unique and can be seen on some Sasanian gems and Kushano-Sasanian and Chionite coins. The author supposes that the “Moon wagon” monogram may be interpreted as a symbol od dynastic bonds with the Sasanides and of belonging to this powerful royal family, “descending from gods”.

Сул и Чола – два топонима из разных историографических традиций. Среди ис-следователей средневековой истории Кавказской Албании и ее взаимоотношений с кочевниками практически нет разногласий по поводу того, что эти термины являются Sasanian fortifications in the NorthEastern borderland of the Caucasian Albania with nomadic peoples have been known in historical records written in Armenian language under the name of Chola pass, Chola gates, and Chola fortress. There is an agreement among scholars that the Armenian Chola used to be transliterated in early Arab sources as Sul. The present article argues for the identity of Sul in the Caucasus with the geographic and ethnic name Sul reported by early Arab historical works and geographers concerning the SouthEastern Caspian littoral province Gorgan (Jurjan). Scrupulous analysis of data from Arab sources and finds of archaeological excavations of Derbent fortifications enable to assert strengthening of Sul fortress as a part of the Derbent defense system construction under Khosrow I Anushirvan (531–579) as well as resettlement of a group of Turkic nobility from Gorgan to the newly constructed fortress to safeguard the Sasanian borders in the Caucasus. Сасанидские укрепления на северо-восточной границе Кавказской Албании с кочевни-ками известны по армяноязычным источникам под названием прохода, врат и крепости Чола. Принято считать, что арабские авторы передавали этот термин в своих географи-ческих и исторических произведениях в форме Сул. В предлагаемом исследовании устанав-ливается связь между топонимом Сул на Кавказе и созвучными географическими и этниче-скими терминами, встречающимися в сведениях арабских авторов о южно-прикаспийской области Джурджан (Горган). Анализ текстов ранних арабских историков и географов, а также материалы археологии средневековых дербентских фортификаций позволяют сде-лать вывод об укреплении крепости Сул в процессе возведения дербентского оборонитель-ного комплекса при Хосрове I Ануширване (531–579) и о заселении крепости выходцами из тюркского населения Южно-Прикаспийской области Джурджан с целью охраны сасанид-ской границы на Кавказе.

Sasanian fortifications in the North-Eastern borderland of the Caucasian Albania with nomadic peoples have been known in historical records written in Armenian language under the name of Chola pass, Chola gates, and Chola fortress. There is an agreement among scholars that the Armenian Chola used to be transliterated in early Arab sources as Sul. The present article argues for the identity of Sul in the Caucasus with the geographic and ethnic name Sul reported by early Arab historical works and geographers concerning the South-Eastern Caspian littoral province Gorgan (Jurjan). Scrupulous analysis of data from Arab sources and finds of archaeological excavations of Derbent fortifications enable to assert strengthening of Sul fortress as a part of the Derbent defense system construction under Khosrow I Anushirvan (531–579) as well as resettlement of a group of Turkic nobility from Gorgan to the newly constructed fortress to safeguard the Sasanian borders in the Caucasus

В статье на основе анализа данных письменных источников исследуется проблема противостояния христианства и зороастризма в Кавказской Албании в IV-VI вв., показаны периоды как острой религиозно-идеологической борьбы, так и определенной веротерпимости, обусловленной важным геополитическим положением страны.

1 Preliminaries It is a well accepted fact that the Khoisan languages of Southern Africa possess the largest consonant systems worldwide, with inventories partly exceeding 100 phonemes. It is as well accepted that the next richest inventories are met with in the Caucasus region, in the languages of the (North-)West Caucasian and (North-) East Caucasian families. Different from the Khoisan languages, the richness is not determined by clicks in these languages; instead, we usually find at least three different articulation types of stops and affricates here (voiced, voiceless-aspirated, voiceless-glottalised), extending from labials down to uvulars, pharyngeals, and laryngeals, and partly comprising palatal or labial coarticulations. In this way, a total of 85 phonemes was determined for Ubykh, a West Caucasian language now extinct (the last known speaker died in 1994), and a not much smaller inventory of 82 has been assigned to the Archi language of the East Caucasian stock, which is...

В монографии анализируется этно-демографическая ситуация в со-временном Азербайджане. Тщательный анализ документального ма-териала свидетельствует, что в республике постоянно занимаются подтасовкой фактов и количество многочисленных малых народов, проживающих на территории республики, постоянно фальсифициру-ется. В приложении публикуется статья Г. Харатян «Вся история Азербайджана сфальсифицирована», разоблачающая современные издания азербайджанских псевдоисториков. В книге помещен также краткий анализ полуторатысячилетней борьбы за этническое самосо-хранение и формы идентичности удин на материалах уникальных ар-мяноязычых источников и полевых материалов автора. В книге пуб-ликуются неизвестные доселе эпиграфические надписи, много не при-водимых по удинской истории архивных документов.
Книга предназначена для всех, интересующихся историей государств Южного Кавказа.

The issue of the borders of Caucasian Albania in the ancient period has long been discussed in the literature, and the inability of researchers from different countries to come to an agreed solution is explained not so much by the state of the sources as by the high degree of politicization of the problem. The only thing that unites the most disagreeing authors with each other is their resolute confidence in the invariability of the borders of Caucasian Albania throughout antiquity. However, we have no reason to speak of an “eternal and unchanging” border along the Kura, Aras or Alazani. Albania's borders were constantly changing in the wake of changes in the balance of power between it and its neighbors: Media Atropatena, Armenia and Iberia. In the future, the political situation in Transcaucasia and the configuration of borders were increasingly influenced by the struggle of the two superpowers of the Ancient World – the Rome and Iran – for domination in the Middle East. Thus, the establishment of the border between Armenia and Albania along the Kura is associated with the signing of the Nisibis peace between Diocletian and Narses. The only “eternal” was the eastern border along the Caspian Sea, but it also in the 4th–2nd centuries BC underwent major changes. Further clarification of the borders of Albania is possible only on the basis of an in-depth and honest analysis of the ancient narrative tradition and an ever-growing array of archaeological data, free from following the political conjuncture.

The issues of historical geography and the ethnopolitical system of Caucasian Albania are considered in the article. The author establishes three levels of the concept “Caucasian Albania”: narrow (as the territory of historical dwelling of Albanians), broad (as the name of concrete state formation) and wide (as designation of the ethnocultural and geographical region covering the most part of East Caucasus). The author insists on the confederative character of the political system of Caucasian Albania.

As opposed to established opinions, the author proves the beginning of the reign of Arsaсid dynasty in the Caucasian Albania at the beginning of the 4th century AD and connects their accession with the Nisibin peace treaty of 298. Based on Kalankatuaci / Dacxuranci’s information the author dates the time of the reign of the first king Wachagan I c. 300 – c. 336, and defines the time of reigns of other Albanian kings up to the last king, Wachagan III (c. 485 – c. 510).

The new localization and reading for mints located on the territory of historical Armenia and Caucasian Albania are discussed in the article. The reading of the mint for the Umayyad dirham 89 AH / 708 AD as “Albanāq” and its identity with (Caucasian) Albania proposed to be possible, but requires confirmation in other written sources, reliably attributed to the this region. The longstanding erroneous reading of the mint “Ma‘din Bājunays” was corrected – the mintname should be read as Ma‘din Bāḥunays with localisation in the Armenian region of Apahunikʽ (Apahunes). Still not a definitive the identification of the Mongol time mintplace “Būbū” with the village Bawonkʽ in the Aragacʽotn region of Armenia. The localization of Īlḫānid time mint Pol-i Āras (bridge over the Araxes) proved to be bonded not with Nakhjawān, but with the largest bridges on this river – Khodā Āferīn bridges, heavily used at the specified time.

The article examines the side-effects of the substitution of class marking by person marking in Caucasian Albanian, the only East Caucasian language attested in written form in the first millennium of our era, and Udi, its closest relative of the present. The phenomena dealt with comprise the fossilisation of class markers in verbs, pronouns and adjectives, the emergence of a threefold gender system in Caucasian Albanian, its relics in the system of referentialisers of modern Udi, and the development of clitic person markers. The material basis of the investigation is enriched by new images of the Caucasian Albanian palimpsests of Mt. Sinai which yield important new insights into the structure and wording of the original documents and the history of the language.

В статье приводятся результаты исследований Зеликакинского поселения. На его окраине были исследованы отложения мусорных слоев мощностью 2,3 м, утилизированных с территории постоянного проживания. Помимо этого,на участке могильника исследованы напластования культурного слоя, в который были впущены погребения. В керамической коллекции фиксируются два основных компонента: традиция Кавказской Албании и традиция памятников круга Андрей-аульского городища. На основании полученных керамических материалов уточнена датировка памятника - II-V вв. н. э. - и его место в системе древностей Прикаспийского Дагестана албано-сарматского времени.

The paper describes results of the studies of the Zelikakinsk settlement.
Midden deposit layers 2,3 m thick found at the edge of the settlement as domestic refuse and debris from the area occupied by settlement residents were excavated. In addition to that, strata of the occupation layer with secondary burials were examined in one section of the cemetery. two components are observed in the ceramic collection, namely, the tradition of Caucasian Albania and the tradition of the sites similar to the Andrey-aul hillfort. Based on ceramic finds, the dating of the site (2nd–5th centuries) was specified and its place in the antiquity system of Caspian Dagestan during the Caucasian Albania–Sarmatia Period was clarified.