Wood as a Rare Writing Material in Georgia. According to Svan Historical Documents of the 14th–15th Centuries

Abstract

The writing material for Svan historical documents was mainly the margins of manuscripts kept in the churches of Svaneti. These documents possess no connection to the text of the manuscript itself; they exist independently and are known as marginal historical documents. Documents written on wood are rare. Wood was not used as a writing material in Georgia in general. It appears only in Svaneti, specifically within the Kala community. The documents of this community are written exclusively on wood cut into three-, four-, five-, or seven-sided pieces; they date back to the 14th–15th centuries and contain community decrees and resolutions, as well as agreements concluded between communities and private individuals. The documents on wood are distinguished by specific peculiarities, conditioned primarily by the writing material and its form. The study of Svan historical documents began in the1830s. Numerous publications have been dedicated to their research; however, wood as a writing material has not been the subject of research or study: Svan historical documents were published merely as written historical sources. Consequently, there is no publication that presents the rules regarding the making of and usage of this rare writing material, which is completely unique within Georgian manuscript practice. This paper discusses two such documents preserved at the National Centre of Manuscripts. Their codicological characteristics are presented, with a focus on their form, the number of faces, and the organization of the text. Wood, as a rare writing material in the 14th–15th centuries in Georgia, specifically in Svaneti, one of the most high-altitude historical-geographic regions, is discussed within the unified historical context of the medieval Georgian manuscript tradition.