programa "logosi"

EDITORIAL
On December 30,2008 the great Georgian scholar, academician Giorgi
Melikishvili would have become 90 years old. A special celebration of this
date was housed by the National Academy of Sciences of Georgia, Tbilisi
State University and Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology.
A scientific conference was held at the university. The majority of the
papers are published in the present volume. Besides them, articles were
offered by other colleagues, some foreigners as well, who were unable to
attend the conference but willing to honour the memory of Giorgi Melikishvili.
It is hard to over-estimate the contribution of Giorgi Melikishvili in the
field of ancient studies. In the wide range of his interests three directions are
of special importance : urartology, the social history of ancient world, the
ancient history of Georgia. He achieved prominent results in all of them,
raising the quality of research to a higher level.
His pedagogic and and administrative activities should be noted separately,
as they were extremely important for the development of ancient
studies in Georgia. He was a unique teacher and director and encouraged,
with infinite care, the development of new fields of science not only in his
institute, but also in the whole Georgia.
For us, it is a great honour and pleasure to be given the opportunity to
express once more, with this book, our deepest respect for our teacher and
our immense love.
Irene Tatišvili
Manana Hvedelidze
Levan Gordeziani
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