Notes on a Glass Assemblage and Associated Wick-Holders from Machkhomeri (Khobi Municipality – Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Western Georgia)

Abstract The 2018–2019 excavation of the basilica church at Machkhomeri yielded a rich assemblage of glass vessels, most of which are believed to belong to 6th century AD lamps. These were dumped into an annexed funerary chapel when the church was restructured to become a single-hall building. Glass lamps are well-known occurrences in late antique contexts across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. However, the finds from the southwest Caucasus have often been neglected. The scope of this contribution is to present the glass finds from Machkhomeri. A collection of wick-holders for glass lamps retrieved in close stratigraphic proximity to the glass assemblage will also be described.