SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE
Upper Svaneti (Georgia) is a territory in almost permanent isolation amid the Caucasus mountain range. This strategic position, along with the military nature of its settlements made its defence so effective that Svaneti served as Georgia`s safehouse, protecting its chief historical and religious re...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLIV-M-1-2020/95/2020/isprs-archives-XLIV-M-1-2020-95-2020.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818293963396743168 |
|---|---|
| author | G. Sousa M. Alcindor |
| author_facet | G. Sousa M. Alcindor |
| author_sort | G. Sousa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Upper Svaneti (Georgia) is a territory in almost permanent isolation amid the Caucasus mountain range. This strategic position, along with the military nature of its settlements made its defence so effective that Svaneti served as Georgia`s safehouse, protecting its chief historical and religious relics in times of crisis. This isolation also ensured the preservation of archaic cultural traditions and ancient rituals, such as animal sacrifices, ritual shaving and blood feuds, establishing what is known as <i>popular religion</i>. Some of these rituals, mainly those performed by women, take place in the domestic space. This paper, developed under the scope of the 3DPast project, aims to interpret the symbolic use of space in vernacular houses of Upper Svaneti. The methodological strategy combines architectonic survey with documental analysis and brings forward an interpretation of this vernacular house from a space anthropology perspective. The traditional svanetian house (<i>machubi</i>), is composed of a single volume, of rough quadrangular plan. The ground floor (<i>machub</i>) houses, during winter, the family and the cattle, while the upper floor (<i>darbazi</i>) was mostly used as the family residence during warmer periods. This analysis will focus specifically on the <i>machub</i>, where there are traces of the symbolic use of domestic space. The <i>machub</i> is composed of a single space with a central fireplace. This element is the axis of segmentation of female and male spaces inside the house. The present paper will address this gender-differentiated symbolic use of the domestic space through the scope of anthropology and of the Svanetian history. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:24:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b5c690df63e4a88932ddddc4ad60eab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1682-1750 2194-9034 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:24:12Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b5c690df63e4a88932ddddc4ad60eab2022-12-22T00:01:17ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences1682-17502194-90342020-07-01XLIV-M-1-20209510010.5194/isprs-archives-XLIV-M-1-2020-95-2020SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSEG. Sousa0M. Alcindor1CI-ESG, Escola Superior Gallaecia, Largo das Oliveiras, 4920-251 Vila Nova de Cerveira, PortugalCI-ESG, Escola Superior Gallaecia, Largo das Oliveiras, 4920-251 Vila Nova de Cerveira, PortugalUpper Svaneti (Georgia) is a territory in almost permanent isolation amid the Caucasus mountain range. This strategic position, along with the military nature of its settlements made its defence so effective that Svaneti served as Georgia`s safehouse, protecting its chief historical and religious relics in times of crisis. This isolation also ensured the preservation of archaic cultural traditions and ancient rituals, such as animal sacrifices, ritual shaving and blood feuds, establishing what is known as <i>popular religion</i>. Some of these rituals, mainly those performed by women, take place in the domestic space. This paper, developed under the scope of the 3DPast project, aims to interpret the symbolic use of space in vernacular houses of Upper Svaneti. The methodological strategy combines architectonic survey with documental analysis and brings forward an interpretation of this vernacular house from a space anthropology perspective. The traditional svanetian house (<i>machubi</i>), is composed of a single volume, of rough quadrangular plan. The ground floor (<i>machub</i>) houses, during winter, the family and the cattle, while the upper floor (<i>darbazi</i>) was mostly used as the family residence during warmer periods. This analysis will focus specifically on the <i>machub</i>, where there are traces of the symbolic use of domestic space. The <i>machub</i> is composed of a single space with a central fireplace. This element is the axis of segmentation of female and male spaces inside the house. The present paper will address this gender-differentiated symbolic use of the domestic space through the scope of anthropology and of the Svanetian history.https://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLIV-M-1-2020/95/2020/isprs-archives-XLIV-M-1-2020-95-2020.pdf |
| spellingShingle | G. Sousa M. Alcindor SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences |
| title | SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE |
| title_full | SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE |
| title_fullStr | SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE |
| title_full_unstemmed | SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE |
| title_short | SYMBOLIC USE OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN THE UPPER SVANETIAN (GEORGIA) VERNACULAR HOUSE |
| title_sort | symbolic use of domestic space in the upper svanetian georgia vernacular house |
| url | https://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLIV-M-1-2020/95/2020/isprs-archives-XLIV-M-1-2020-95-2020.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gsousa symbolicuseofdomesticspaceintheuppersvanetiangeorgiavernacularhouse AT malcindor symbolicuseofdomesticspaceintheuppersvanetiangeorgiavernacularhouse |