During the excavations of a fortress in Georgia, a golden offering to the god of war was found. Photo

During excavations in an 1800-year-old Roman fortress in Georgia, a Polish-Georgian archaeological team discovered a golden offering to the god of war. Colorful mosaics and other artifacts were also found.

In the ancient world, people often made gifts to deities because they hoped for their help. A sacrifice to Jupiter Dolichhen could have been made in the hope that he would help achieve victory in battle, Livescience writes.

"Jupiter Dolichen was the god of war and victory. His name combines Jupiter, the Roman god of the sky, storms, and lightning, and Dolichen, the god of thunder," said Natalia Lockley, an archaeologist at the University of Warsaw and deputy leader of the Polish side of the expedition.

Scientists hope that the site, known as the Gonio Apsaros fortress, contains a sanctuary of Jupiter Dolichen, which will be discovered in the future. And perhaps the soldiers intended to offer the golden artifact to the god in this sanctuary by placing it on a wall or altar, Lockley added.

The research team found other findings in the fort, including the remains of a mosaic. "The mosaic probably depicts a geometric motif, but due to the extensive damage, we are still analyzing and piecing together its pattern," Lockley said, noting that some of the fragments show red and pink lines on a white background.

The archaeologists also found the remains of a winery and kilns used to fire amphorae and pottery vessels for storing wine. These findings indicate that wine was produced there and possibly exported to other places, the researchers suggested.

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