Has received Postdoctoral education as a Volkswagen Foundation Fellow at the Institute for Oriental Archaeology and Art at the University of Halle-Wittenberg (Germany) with Prof. Dr. Winfried Orthmann between 1998-1999. Research thesis on “The Economic and Cultural Structure of the South Caucasian Population in the Third Millennium B.C.” Has defended doctoral dissertation in 1989 in Pre- and Protohistory at the Georgian National Academy of Sciences (Supervisor Prof. Konstantin Phickhelauri, Prof. Vakhtang Shamiladze) on the topic of “The Dwelling in the Ethnic Mode of Life”. Was a Doctoral Candidate at the State University of Tbilisi between 1985-1989. Graduated from Tbilisi State University School of History (Diploma Excellent) in 1976-1983.
Has worked at Ilia State University as a Professor and Dean of School of Humanities and Cultural Studies between 2006-2010. Was Director of the International Caucasological Scientific Research Institute in 1997. Was Professor of Ethnology at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University of between 1990-2006. Professor of Caucasian History at State Pedagogical University of Tbilisi in 1994-2006. Was a Professor of Georgian History at Technical University of Tbilisi 1988-1994. Senior Researcher of Kakhetian Archeological Expedition at Archeological Research Center, Georgian Academy of Sciences during 1983-2006.
Scientific interests / research interests
Research Projects
- 2012-2015 – VolkswagenStiftung. Zwischen Europa und Orient – Mittelasien/Kaukasus im Fokus der Wissenschaft. Transformations of Sacred Spaces, Pilgrimages and Conceptions of Hybridity in the Post-Soviet Caucasus. https://portal.volkswagenstiftung.de/search/personDetails.do?addrNum=33676&fromProject=86472
- October- December 2010: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellow at the University of Halle-Wittenberg Research project: The Mongol rule and the changes in the Georgian social life.
- October- December 2007: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellow at the Institute for Pre- and Early History at the University of Heidelberg (with Prof. Dr. Harald Haputmann) Research project: For the opinion of the Economic Cultural structures of the population of the Central Caucasus and Hyndukusch middle of the 3rd millennium BC.
- Iuni – October 2003: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellow at the Institute for Pre- and Early History at the University of Heidelberg (with Prof. Dr. Harald Haputmann). Research Proj ect: “On Food Production Techniques of the Central Transcaucasian Population of the mid-3rd Millennium B.C “
- October- December 2000: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellow at the Institute for Oriental Archaeology and Art at the University of Halle-Wittenberg (Prof. Dr. Winfried Ortmann). Research Project: “Traditional Shrines in East Georgia.”
- June -Aug. 1980; June-Aug. 1981; June – Aug. 1984; June-Aug. 1986; June-Aug. 1988: Ethnographic Expedition to Svanetien (West Georgia). State Museum of Georgia. Research Associate.
- November-December 1995: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellow at the Institute for Pre- and Early History at the University of Heidelberg (with Prof. Dr. Harald Haputmann). Research project: “The Housing Phenomenon in the System of Caucasian Cultures in the Paleometal Epoch.”
- 1983-2004: Kakhetian Archaeological Expedition. Georgian Academy of Sciences. Senior Researcher.
- April-May 1985-1986; 1995-1996: Ethnolinguistic Expedition in Daghestan and Chechnya.
- 1986-1994 Assistant Professor at the Technical University of Georgia for Georgian History.
- June 1984: XIII Assyriological World Congress. Leningrad (Russia).
- April 1986: III Research Congress of Younger Scholars. Archeological Research Center, Georgian Academy of Sciences. Tbilisi.
- April 1989: IV Research Congress of Younger Scholars. Archeological Research Center, Georgian Academy of Sciences. Tbilisi.
- May 1991: Caucasological Research Conference at the University of Chicago (USA).
- October 1983; October 1986; October 1989: II, III, IV International Symposium, “The Caucasus in the System of Eurasian Cultures in the Paleo-metal Epoch.” Tbilisi, Signagi, Telavi.
- November 1988: USA-USSR Archaeological Colloquium. Signagi, Georgia. April 1996. International Archaeological Colloquium. Signagi, Georgia.
- July-August 1994: Ethnographic Expedition to Meschet-Djawacheti.
- July 1995: July 1996; July-October 1997; June-August 1999, 2000, 2001: Ethnolinguistic Expedition to Svaneti, Ratscha, Imereti, Kacheti, Djavakheti, Khevsureti, Pschavi, Mtiuleti. Canadian Academy of Sciences. Coordinator. `
- From November 1991: Lectures at the State University of Tbilisi. (Intensive Course on Paleoethnology).
- From September 1992: Lectures at the State Pedagogical University of Tbilisi. (Basic course in Archaeology and Ethnology).