Toward a detailed typology: four-sided stelae in Early Christian South Caucasus

Thanks to the work of local and international scholars, the four-sided stelae that served as artistic and devotional markers in Early Christian Armenia and Georgia are well known today for their high-quality carved decoration. Yet, many questions this material raises remain unsettled. These could be resolved by focusing on three main areas of concern: the paucity of archaeological excavations; the systematic distinction between Georgian and Armenian stelae (sometimes the result of accurate typological distinction, but also to a less useful, nationalistic approach); and a certain lack of interest in aniconic stelae. This paper addresses the two latter issues by considering stelae from both typological groups with a special focus on those bearing geometrical ornamentation and some specific structures. This has yielded identification of sub-typologies the study of which should contribute to understanding these monuments' evolution.