Expedition and Field Research in the Georgian regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara, Guria, and Samegrelo.

In August 2024, GCRPTA conducted a pre-planned ethnographic expedition in the Georgian regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara, Guria, and Samegrelo.

The field research was organized and carried out by Levan Dvalishvili as a continuation of an ongoing effort to collect data and search for remaining practices and traditions of blacksmithing and ironmaking.  

A number of blacksmiths, either currently active or having practiced in the past, were identified in each given region and interviewed.

The collected data reveals a continuous decline in the blacksmith profession. The interviewed blacksmiths themselves attribute their hardships to the market being dominated by inexpensive factory-produced goods, which they find challenging to compete against.

Besides craftsmen's inability to compete with inexpensive and abundant imported products, additional decline-contributing factors were identified, such as the lack of apprentices. Indeed, a break in the transition of knowledge between master and apprentice could be considered a crucial reason for the disappearance of many traditional trades. The declining apprenticeship is caused by insufficient interest among young people in learning the traditional manual craft, which in turn may be linked to the perceived absence of economic and business opportunities, consequently resulting in a rather low social prestige of the blacksmithing profession. 

Several abandoned forges, located and recorded by the expedition, are indicative of the aforementioned dynamics.

The expedition recorded elders’ recollections about rules and procedures of coal extraction, iron forging, and descriptions of various types of blacksmith tools.

The expedition carried out photo and video documentation of different forging and smithing procedures.

GCRPTA plans to follow up with established contacts and conduct more detail-focused investigations.

Blacksmith Valiko Gozalishvili, Vale (Akhaltsikhe Municipality, Samtskhe-Javakheti Region)

Blacksmith Otar Chxikvadze, Chokhatauri (Guria region)