| Abstrakt: |
This paper uses the framework of numismatic practice - socially contextualized coin use - to explore how "money" developed meaning in the ancient Caucasus. Traditional approaches to monetization at the edges of ancient imperial space view the expansion of coinage as an outgrowth of imperial programs. In contrast, this exploration demonstrates that coins were used to construct and maintain diverse and overlapping regimes of value, shaped by regional priorities rather than imported norms. Within this system, the use of coins in mortuary contexts became an especially durable social practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
