Pro Georgia, 2016, t. 26, s. 29-51 29 ROMAN AND BYZANTINE FORTS SURVEY IN THE SOUT EASTERN BLACK SEA AREA by Shota Mamuladze and Emzar Kakhidze Batumi Group of researchers, represent the Department of the History, Archaeology and Ethnology of the Batumi Shota Rustasveli State Uni- versity (BSU) leading by Professor Shota Mamuladze gained Rustaveli Foundation Grant Project: “Cultural heritage monuments of the eastern part of historical Tzanika: Fortifi cations, churches, samples of commu- nication and household architecture” in 2011. During the Project imple- mentation period BSU group visited east- ern part of the Turk- ish Black Sea coast from Hopa to Trabzon (Fig.1) and surveyed different samples of the architectural con- structions of this re- gion. In the present article we superfi cially will observe fortifi ca- tions of the Roman and Fig.1 Map of southeastern Black Sea area Byzantine periods. It was singled out two main areas of our interests: coast line and hinter- land. Both of them had been developing under different historical conditions due to not only direct infl uence of foreign civilizations, but also the inten- sity of inter-relations with the native inhabitants of the surrounding areas. If we look at the situation more attentively, we will be able to see that the sites that either closely bordered central Colchis (ancient western Georgia) and Iberia (ancient eastern Georgia), or neighboured those that were under a political infl uence of the former. As to the seaside Tzani and other Zanian, 30 SHOTA MAMULADZE & EMZAR KAKHIDZE western Georgian-language tribes (Chalybes, Macrones, Machelones, etc.), they had been rather more infl uenced by the foreigners. It is clear that the reason of it is their natural geographical isolation from the hinterland (i.e. from Georgian statehood), and namely, it is a seaside territory between the eastern Pontus mountain ridge (modern Karadeniz dağları) and the Cauca- sus Minor (Fig. 1). The same may be said about the southwestern section of Georgia, Ajara which is also rather far from the inner regions because of mountainous regions, but still, central Colchis fl ood-plain reaches the Rioni (Phasis) river basin territories through Kobuleti and Kakhaberi valleys that makes it easier to have relations with this area. Hopa fort (Fig. 2) is located on the elevated place of the Panchol range between Hopa and Arhavi (Fig.1). According to the oral tradition of the locals, the old roads pass- ing through the coastline were leading upwards from the Arhavi territories, passed through the vil- lages of Kise, Pironit and then went into Hopa. The fort itself Fig. 2 Plan of Hopa fort used to have the relatively easiest access from the Pironit vicinities. From here the roads leads upwards, passes the village of Panchol and after 4 km it is possible directly ap- proach the fort. According to “The Life of Saint Daniel the Stylite”, Hopa fort was built by the Byzantines during the reign of Emperor Leon I (457- 474)1. Georgian historians Juansher Juansheriani (8th century AD) and Vakhushti Bagrationi (18th century) said that king of Kartli (Medieval eastern Georgia), Archil II built a frontier fort in this area in 8th cen- tury2. The contents of the Khupati (Hopa of Medieval Georgian sourc- 1 K. Kekelidze, Ancient Georgian literature history etudes. vol. 7, Tbilisi, 1961: 5-6. 2 Chronicles of Georgia, vol. 1 (ed. S. Khaukhchishvili). Tbilisi, 1955: 243; vol. 4 (ed. S. Khaukhchishvili). Tbilisi, 1973: 689. 3 Chronicles of Georgia, vol. 1 (ed. S. Khaukhchishvili). Tbilisi, 1955: 299. ROMAN AND BYZANTINE FORTS SURVEY 31 es) battle won by king of united Georgia, Bagrat IV in 10463 make us suppose that during Archil’s reign the border between Byzantium and Georgia passed on Khupati. The same picture is seen during another united Georgian king, David IV period in the turn of 11th-12th centu- ries.4 Since the time when the Empire of Trebizond was created in 1204, the borderline between Georgia and the new formation was presumably through Hopa.5 Construction of the building sometimes may mean the reconstruction of the old one. It is hard to say how things stood at that time but the ru- ins of the Hopa fort still preserved to this day defi nitely differ from the construction style of the Byzantine fortifi cation buildings of that period. The fort has the traces of reconstruction and utilization at different times. The proof to this is the walls of the monument as well as the fragments of ceramic ware of various periods (on the architecture of this fort in detail, see: appendix 1). Arhavi fort (Fig. 3) is situated on the right bank of the river of Arha- vi. The local population calls it Ciha/Jikha, simply fort in native, Lazian language. Several ranges are sloped onto these vicini- ties from the Pontus highlands to the lit- toral. The highest among them is the so-called Arhavi range, which cre- ates a bent impass- able rocky relief upon approaching the coastal line. It might have been Fig. 3 Plan of Arhavi fort preconditioned by this fact that the old land roads connecting Hopa and Artvin used to pass through the villages on the upper part of the littoral (Fig. 1). 4 Chronicles of Georgia, vol. 1 (ed. S. Khaukhchishvili). Tbilisi, 1955: 333, 338. 5 For the suppositions on the fort, see: I. Sikharulidze, Tzanika (Lazeti) 1, Batumi, 1977: 69; G. Grigolia, Issues of historical geography of Egris-Lazika. Tbilisi, 1994; K. Lortkipanidze, G. Lortkipanidze, Lazian villages of Khupati (Hopa) gorge and Arhavi. Questions of Culture History and Theory 18, Tbilisi, 2013. 32 SHOTA MAMULADZE & EMZAR KAKHIDZE Arhavi is fi rst mentioned by Scylax of Caryanda (6th-5th centuries BC) in the form of Arabis.6 Arrian names Αρχάβιος (Periplus 7), Ptolemy - Arkadis (V, 6,6) and Tabula Peutingeriana - Abgabes (X, 4). According to Anonymous Periplus, there used to live the Bidzerae and then Dzid- ritae from the river of Apsarus to the river of Arkabis (42, 1). In famous Georgian historian, Ivane Javakhishvili’s opinion, the river Arkabis used to be the border between the Roman satellite “kingdom” of Macronae and Heniochi and the Dzidritae, tribes benignant to Iberia.7 Fortifi cation of Arhavi is similar to Hopa. The thrown-away material contains a small portion of archaeological items representing the ceramic ware of early Byzantine as well as so called developed Middle Ages. It is clear that the fort been functioning from the quite early period (6th-7th centuries) and continued existence through later periods as well (on the architecture of this fort in detail, see: appendix 2). Athenai (modern town of Pazar) often used to become the subject of interest for Roman and Byzantine authors (Arr., Periplus 3-5, 7; Ptol., V, 6; Anon., Periplus 39-40; Tab. Peut., X, 4; Steph. Byz., s.v. Αϑηναι). Ac- cording to Arrian, because its harbour (ormoV‘) was not reliable, a small number of ships used to enter it only in summer. Nearby was an aban- doned castellum (Periplus 4). Concerning to this fort, later Kiz Kale, in fact, the same is repeated by William Gifford Palgrave, British consul in Trabzon in 70s of 18th century.8 In 1474 Italian travellers Giosaft Barbaro and Ambrogio Contarinini who were travelling from the Crimea, namely Kapa, to meet Uzun Hassan, passed through Tina (Atina, Athenai in local transcription) that was the one and only reliable place inasmuch as the Hemshin (Armenian speaking Muslim population) robbers used to raid on the roads towards Bayburt.9 Apparently, Athenai fort (Fig. 4), which demonstrated couple of reno- vation stages (on the architecture of this fort in detail, see: appendix 3), belongs to the times of the fi rst stage of formation of the Pontus-Caucasian frontier, reign of Vespasian. It lost its signifi cance later because of some reasons. In this aspect, the auxiliary cohort stationed at the Gornea in 6 T. Khaukhchishvili, Sources of Greek authors concerning to Georgia 1. Tbilisi, 1967: 49. 7 I. Javakhishvili, Introduction to the history of Georgian nation. Historical and ethnographi- cal issues of Georgia, Caucasus and Middle East. Tbilisi, 1950: 265. 8 W. G. Palgrave, Reports on Lazistan shore and surrounding inner districts of consul W. Gifford Palgrave in summer of 1872. Izvestya Kavkazskogo otdela Imperatorskogo Russkogo obshestva. Tifl is, 1882: 68-69. 9 W. Thomas, S.A. R o y, Travels to Tana and Persia by Josafa Barbaro and Ambrogio Contarini, trans. W. Thomas and S.A. R o y (ed. Lord Stenley of Alderley). London, 1873: 116. ROMAN AND BYZANTINE FORTS SURVEY 33 Armenia during the last years of Claudi- us’s reign is very in- teresting. This mili- tary unit left this fort after the exhaustion of its political mis- sion of protecting Mithridates of Ibe- ria, this unpopular protégé of Rome (Tac. Ann. 12, 46). Fig. 4 Athenai fort Athenai located near the area occu- pied by the Tzani and the Zidritae initially used to serve certain strategic aims. After the Roman establishment of their desirable power here in the form of the kingdom of Machelons and Heniochi, they considered the di- rect control of the territory not necessary as it was in the “reliable hands”. It is interesting that Anonymous mentions Athenai (like Kordilon and Apsarus) as a village (Periplus 39-40). In Anania Shirakatsi’s “Armenian Geography” dated to the 7th century AD, but mainly de- scribes 4th-5th centuries situation, Athenai (like Rize) is mentioned as a Colchian city.10 The road from Athenai to Erzurum was of strate- gic importance. It was given a new impulse in AD 421 after building a fortress of Theodopolis in Erzurum.11 In this context should be dealt Kale, controlling Erzurum-Athenai main road in the river of Meleskur Gorge, and Ciha/Jikha, dominant on the road coming from Ispir.