is shown schematically.Various interpretations have been put forward. One views it as a sheep pen symbolising the replenishment of the herd (fertility), while another, drawing on burial practices in western Georgia, suggests that the structure covers a burial pit, and that the scene is connected with the dead. Brileva favours the latter view and believes that the plate represents a Colchian mortuary practice and was crafted by an itinerant Urartian artisan sometime between 750–650 BC. How it arrived at Gamdlistskaro is unclear, but its ritual purpose cannot be denied.

Collectively, this rich assemblage of material from Shilda, Meligele I, and Melaani is typical of the central south Caucasus, yet the mode of disposal is characteristic of a much wider area.The practice of hoarding was particularly favoured in western Georgia, and beyond, in Europe, though the quantity disposed of in Kakhetia is also impressive. Hoarding is discussed when we reach Colchis (Chapter 10).

Menhirs

We should mention, however summarily, the upright standing stones (menhirs, or vishaps, in Armenian) that remain one of the most puzzling artefact types of the south Caucasus.Their size can vary considerably, with the tallest standing to a height around 5.5 m and the smallest about 1.5 m. The most common menhir is roughly rounded in cross-section, tapering towards the top, while the other type has a squared section. Geographically, their distribution is well circumscribed. In Armenia, where the greatest concentrations are to be found, menhirs are clustered around the mountains of Gegham and Aragats, and Lake Sevan, located mainly in high altitude plains and meadows ca. 2,000– 3,000 m asl.63 Outside of Armenia, menhirs are found in southern Georgia (the Javakheti and Trialeti Plateaux), as well as Nakhichevan and north-eastern Anatolia.64 These standing stones are distinguished by their megalithic art and symbolism. One group has images of fish, whereas another has what appears to be a bull or sheep hide draped over the top. Birds, zigzags, and snakes have also been carved onto their surfaces.

Menhirs are difficult to date and their meaning continues to elude us, but it seems they were constructed in different periods. Some menhirs have been erected next to Christian buildings and appear to have a religious significance, while others are positioned near prehistoric cromlechs (in one case, within it) and barrows, suggesting a second millennium date. Identifying their uses remains speculation, but they remain an integral and understudied part of the ritual landscape.

63Bobokhyan et al. 2012.

64Narimanishvili et al. 2015.