b ) and
pari ( p ) , Ingorokva regarded that these were initials of
B ersoumа P ityakhsh ; the similar situation is with the mentioned stele as well, where there are Aramaic words and there
are Asomtavruli letters as well (Ingorokva, 487-501).
Grakliani altar made of clay was dated in Miami, USA, by
Beta Analytic’s Radiocarbon Dating Expertise method by 11
th
-10
th
centuries BC. Even if the further studies show that this dating requires further
detailing and that the altar was made relatively later, or the inscription was made on the altar later, clearly, this
discovery is of world significance (if in Kartli of pagan period there was original alphabet, demonstrating high
level of economic and cultural development of this country, naturally, this fact not only changes the history of
this region of Caucasus but also presents slightly different general picture of the history of Asia Minor and
even wider geographical area…). We do not exclude that the inscription was made in the period of reign of
King Parnavaz
(maybe, on already existing and operating altar...). As mentioned by Prof. Licheli,
archeological
materials of Grakliani Hill show that in 5
th
-
4
th
centuries BC Kartli had close economic relationships with
South Mesopotamia, Urartu, Iran, Greece, Egypt (Licheli 2020); Parnavaz
is known as religious reformer; it is
believed that he has created new idol (idol
Armazi ) in Kartli; he is regarded as a king, in the period of whose
reign, the country has achieved particular economic success; if so, it is undoubted that there would be the need
in alphabet, in the domestic and other trade relationships and if such alphabet, naturally suited to Georgian
language, already existed in the temple, there would be no need to seek the new one and
Parnavaz would indeed take this alphabet from the temple to use it for secular purposes.
Here we should say that on the mentioned postament, though we read the text from right to left, it seems
that the letters are written from left to right. If we assume that the inscription on the postament is oriented from
right to left, we can suppose that this inscription was made in the epoch of change of the writing traditions.
It is also the notable fact that in the word that we have read as “
Shehkhets`ighwe ” , there can be seen a
specific nature of Georgian verb characteristic for the archaic Georgian only (specific nature implies use of
khani or
hae letters as signs of second subjective and third objective persons; see Shanidze, 262-281).
One more thing about this verb (“