26 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Mysterious Deity’s Ancient Gold Gift was Discovered at Georgia’s Gonio-Apsaros Roman Fort

During excavations at the Roman fortress of Apsaros in Georgia, archaeologists discovered a unique gold votive plaque presented to Jupiter Dolichensky.

In the second century AD, the mystery cult of Jupiter Dolichenus, a Roman god and so-called “Oriental deity,” peaked under the Severi in the early third century AD, and then quickly faded. Scholars occasionally refer to Jupiter Dolichenus as the “Baal of Doliche” or the “Dolichenian Baal.” With this discovery, the researchers confirmed the cult of this deity, popular among Roman soldiers.

Gonio Fortress, also known as the Fortress or Castle of Apsaros, is a well-preserved 1st-century AD Roman fort located in western Georgia, just before the modern Turkish border. Apsaros Fort (this was the name by which the fortress was known among the ancients) was built around 2,000 years ago on the border of the Roman province of Cappadocia.

According to the Greek historian Procopius of Caesarea, Absyrtos, son of King Aietes (Kingdom of Colchis), is buried on the site of the fortress and that is why it was called Apsaros.

A Polish-Georgian archaeological expedition has been working there since 2014. Another excavation season has been completed by a team led by Dr. Radosław Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski, Professor at the University of Warsaw (Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw), and Dr Lasha Aslanishvili (Agency for the Protection of Adjara Cultural Heritage).

The ancient Roman gold plaque found at the Gonio-Apsaros fortress. Photo from Natalia Lockley via the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw
The ancient Roman gold plaque found at the Gonio-Apsaros fortress. Photo from Natalia Lockley via the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

This year, for the first time, archaeologists discovered a gold votive plate. It is a small, thin plate, fitting in the palm of the hand, with embossed decorations and an inscription in Greek. The plate found was a gift to Jupiter of Doliches, a deity popular with Roman soldiers.

‘It confirms the functioning near the find, a place of worship, a temple dedicated to Jupiter Capitolinus. This deity is distinct from Jupiter Capitolinus, the official Roman deity. The roots of the cult of Jupiter of Dolicheń can be traced back to the east, the borderlands of modern Syria and Turkey. It was a local deity that, for reasons not fully explained, became popular in Roman military circles,’ – Dr Radosław Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski described to Science in Poland.

He stressed that finding a virtually intact gold object from ancient times is a unique event. ‘Also in our position it is rare. This may be because the military community did not wear gold, a rare occurrence in everyday use. This does not mean that the garrison or the officers did not have financial reserves in gold,’ – said the archaeologist.

He recalled that Gonio is known for the treasure of gold objects found in the 1970s. It is indirectly linked to the garrison, proving that officers or people in charge of the garrison’s financial resources, may have buried chests of gold, under special circumstances.

In addition to the gold plaque, the researchers collected other items that point to the incomplete explanation of the cult of Jupiter Dolichensky. These are mainly small bronze figurines, which, depict a bull and an eagle, symbolizing Jupiter.

An ancient Roman pottery kiln with jars still inside. Photo from Marcin Matera via the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw
An ancient Roman pottery kiln with jars still inside. Photo from Marcin Matera via the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

‘The votive plaque left at the place of worship brings us closer to finding the temple. Maybe we will find its remains in the coming years,” said researchers.

Archaeologists also unearthed a set of ancient Roman pottery kilns “used for firing amphorae, vessels typically used to store wine.”

Near the kilns, the team found a wine press, “suggesting that local wine may have been exported in these amphorae, likely for use by the Roman military,” the archaeologists said.

Based on these findings, Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski said the team believes large-scale pottery manufacturing and wine production took place at the ancient Roman fort, something atypical for the military. The craftsmen likely worked at the fort when soldiers were not around and were removed when the military returned.

PAP

University of Warsaw

Cover Image Credit: Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw

Related Articles

Colossae Ancient City Excavation Works Begin

8 September 2021

8 September 2021

Excavations of the ancient city of Colossae, located in the Honaz district of Denizli province in western Turkey, are starting...

An Anthropologist’s life work uncovers the first ancient DNA from the Swahili Civilization

2 April 2023

2 April 2023

Chapurukha Kusimba, an anthropologist at the University of South Florida, has uncovered the first ancient DNA from the Swahili Civilization,...

Rare Anglo-Saxon Gold and Garnet Artifacts Discovered in Wiltshire

12 May 2025

12 May 2025

A breathtaking discovery in the southwestern English county of Wiltshire has captivated archaeologists and metal detecting enthusiasts alike. Two detectorists,...

Failed Mongol fleet may actually land in Japan after 800 years

18 July 2023

18 July 2023

A  recent shipwreck was found off the coast of Japan this year and identified as part of a Mongol fleet...

In the “Siberian Valley of the Kings”, archaeologists have discovered a burial mound containing ornate treasures dating back 2,500 years

20 January 2022

20 January 2022

A Polish-Russian team of archaeologists, excavating in the “Siberian Valley of the Kings” have announced the discovery of a burial...

Saudi Arabia launching world’s first-ever ‘Museum in the Sky’

4 November 2021

4 November 2021

The world’s first “Museum in the Sky” flight operated by Saudia Airlines, will take off from Riyadh to AlUla today....

Roman-era Mixers and Millstones Made with Geology in Mind

22 September 2021

22 September 2021

A study on stone tools from an outpost of the Roman Empire has found that for ancient bakers and millers,...

Ancient Rituals and ‘Devil’s Money’: Elite Pagans’ Medieval Cult Site Unearthed at Hezingen

15 February 2025

15 February 2025

Researchers in the eastern Netherlands have uncovered a medieval cult site featuring structural remains and a hoard of gold and...

Discovery Shedding Light on the Mysteries of Anatolia: 3500-year-old Double-Headed Eagle Seal

21 October 2024

21 October 2024

A grain silo and two different seal impressions, one of which is a double-headed eagle, were found during the excavation...

Archaeologists discovered 22 mummies wrapped in bundles, mainly children and newborns in Peru

7 December 2023

7 December 2023

The mummified burials of 22 people, mostly young children and newborn babies, were found in the Peruvian town of Barranca...

The ruins found in Nara could be the Imperial House of Female Emperor Koken

1 July 2021

1 July 2021

Archaeologists unearthed one of the largest building remains ever found at the former site of the Heijokyu palace in the...

Statue heads of “Aphrodite” and “Dionysus” were found in Aizanoi Ancient City in Turkey’s

30 October 2021

30 October 2021

The statue heads of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Dionysus, the god of wine, were unearthed in...

A unique 2,800-year-old ivory-decorated piece was discovered in the Ancient City of Hattusa

13 November 2023

13 November 2023

An ivory-decorated piece, estimated to be approximately 2,800 years old, was found during the archaeological excavation in the Hattusa Ancient...

Evidence of a 1500-year-old Byzantine church found on the beach of Ashdod, Israel

22 February 2022

22 February 2022

Recent rain in Israel has unearthed the remains of a marble pillar dating to around 1,500 years ago on a...

Alexander the Great’s Sacred Purple Tunic Found in a 2,400-year-old Macedonian Tomb?

29 October 2024

29 October 2024

Archaeologists have found a sacred chiton (tunic) in a 2400-year-old royal tomb in the Macedonian city of Vergina in northern...