The archaeological remains at Dzalisa date to the C2nd CE and there is evidence that occupation continued into the middle ages with current research suggesting that the settlement was abandoned c. C8th CE. Whilst ancient writers did mention a Roman town this far east in Iberia, Dzalisa is the most significant Roman site found east of the Surami range of mountains and the site is probably the Zalissa mentioned by the writer Ptolemy (c.100- c.170 AD).
Today the archaeological remains cover a large area around the modern village of Dzalisa with excavations continuing every summer. It is estimated that the town covered 70 hectares in all and the reserve contains several excavated buildings, including a public bath, a swimming pool, a building with under-floor heating and part of a villa with mosaic flooring and what was probably a private bathing suite. The mosaics are only one of four examples of floor mosaic found on Georgian territory and the only one found east of the Surami mountain range.
Creator
Emma Loosley
Date of Visit
17th May to 27th June 2017
Contributor
Emma Loosley
Peter Leeming
Rights
Metadata and all media released under Creative Commons
unless otherwise indicated
Type
Archaeological Site
Tags
Archaeological Excavation, C2nd, C8th, Dzalisa, Georgia, Georgian National Museum, Iberia, Kartli, Mosaic, Ptolemy, Roman, Zalissa
Collection
Classical Archaeology in Georgia
Citation
Emma Loosley, “Dzalisa,” Architecture and Asceticism, accessed April 20, 2024, https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/837.