1700-Year-Old Writing Kit from Georgia (South Caucasus): this writing kit was found in an unmarked grave that lay hidden in the foundations of a cathedral, where it was buried next to the body of a 50-year-old woman, and it's decorated with images of the Greek muses
The unmarked tomb was discovered at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, which is located in the city of Mtskheta, in modern-day Georgia. The burial site dates back to about 250-350 CE, when Mtskheta served as the capital of Kartli (also known as the Kingdom of Iberia), which covered most of what is now Eastern Georgia.
The tomb lay undiscovered for more than 1,600 years, as it was tucked into the foundations of the cathedral; it contained the body of an unidentified woman in her 40s or 50s, along with an assortment of jewelry and a gilded writing set, which had been placed by the woman's waist. Her identity is still a mystery, but the contents of her tomb suggest that she was a member of royalty and/or nobility.
The writing set contains several different components, including a gilded pen case with the Greek muses depicted across the back, a silver frame depicting three historical figures, an openwork cover made of gold, a gold ink pot, three silver pens, and a small "pencil-box" made of silver.
All nine of the Greek muses are depicted on the pen case. The figures are divided into three rows; each muse is identified by name, and each is depicted with its own unique attributes/objects.
Above: the top row of the pen case is decorated with gilded images of Clio, Euterpe, and Thalia
The three figures in the top row are identified as Clio, Euterpe, and Thalia, which are the muses of history, lyric poetry, and comedy, respectively. Clio is shown holding a slate pencil in her right hand and a book in her left, while Euterpe is depicted with a trumpet and a wind instrument, and Thalia carries a comic mask and ploughshare.
Above: Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Erato
The figures in the second row are identified as Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Erato, who are the muses of tragedy, dance, and romantic poetry. Melpomene carries a tragedy mask, Terpsichore has a lyre in her left hand and a plectrum in her right, and Erato is depicted with a flanged lyre.
Above: Polyhymnia, Urania, and Calliope
The figures in the third row represent Polyhymnia, Urania, and Calliope. Polyhymnia is the muse of song, sacred dance, and mime, and she is depicted with a scroll in one hand and a mask in the other. Urania is the muse of astronomy, so she carries a pointed slate pencil in her right hand and a globe in her left. Calliope is the muse of epic poetry, and she's depicted with a scroll.
Above: the writing kit also includes this silver frame, which features three more figures that are identified as Menander, Homer, and Demosthenes
A small silver frame attaches to the front side of the pen case. That frame is decorated with portraits of Menander, Homer, and Demosthenes, who are identified by the Greek inscriptions above each figure ("MENAN[ΔΡΟΣ], OMEROC, ΔHMOCΘENHC"), though the inscription of Menander's name is partially damaged.
The frame fits neatly around a small ink-pot, which is then fixed to the front of the pen case, along with an openwork cover made of gold.
Above: the openwork cover was crafted from a sheet of gold, and it features an elaborate laurel motif along with a Greek inscription
The cover includes a two-line Greek inscription ("BACIΛEΩC OΥCTAMOΥ TOΥ KAI EΥΓENIOΥ") that can be translated as "king Oustamos-Eugenios" or "kings Oustamos and Eugenios." There is no written record of any king(s) by that name in Kartli, nor in any other part of Georgia, but the written history for this period is sparse, and the names of many Georgian rulers have been lost.
The writing set also includes three silver pens and a "pencil box" made from a pair of silver sheets. One of the silver sheets has a corrugated design that holds the pens in place.
Above: three pens and a silver "pencil-box" are shown on the right, while the openwork cover, frame, ink-pot, and pen case are shown on the left; the "pencil-box" is supposed to slide between the pen case and the other components
The artifacts from this unmarked tomb (along with the ink pots and styli that have been found at other sites nearby) suggest that there was a high level of literacy among the elites of Mtskheta during this period. The burial also contains several artifacts that were likely crafted in foreign workshops, reflecting the significant trade relationships and cultural exchanges that existed between Kartli and the peoples of Colchis, Greece, Rome, Iran, Armenia, Scythia, and the Levant.
Phasis: A Rich Burial from Mtskheta (Caucasian Iberia)
Georgian National Museum: Pen Case
Colors and Stones: Writing Tools from Mtskheta
Greek and Latin Inscriptions from Classical Antiquity in Georgian History: Inscription on a Pen-Case from Mtskheta (p.269)
Hadrian and the Christians: Georgia in Roman Times (1st to 4th Centuries AD)
Phasis: Judicial Practices in Ancient Georgia (p.7)
International Black Sea University: Reinterpretation of a Late Roman Artifact
The Greeks and Romans in the Black Sea: What's in a Name? Who Might be Basilissa Ulpia from Mtskheta?
Journal of the Otar Lordkipanidze Centre of Archaeology: Archaeology of the Roman Period in Georgia
