Settlement Forms and Local Groups in the Social Structure of Traditional Georgian Society

Abstract

In the past, the smallest socio-territorial unit in Georgia was the out-building complex, which formed part of larger structural unions such as districts, villages, territorial communities, and networks of territorial communities. The nomenclature of these units corresponded to various taxonomic levels within the social organization. The household (housekeeping unit) was the minimal local group, typically corresponding to individual communities. A medial local group corresponded to a district or village, while a maximal local group represented a territorial unit based on networks of villages. Within minimal household groups, nuclear families were typically represented, whereas extended (large) household communities consisted of multiple nuclear families connected through joint economic activities and partly sharing common community space. The medial local group included various households whose heads or patriarchs were related, lived in close proximity, and shared common economic interests. Patronymic organization, grounded in the kinship system, initially functioned within the extended household. Within such households, the smallest genealogical unit was the minimal lineage, generally comprising relatives spanning two to four generations. The medial local group encompassed a medial lineage − a second-order genealogical segment including kin across four to twelve generations. At the highest level, the maximal local association corresponded to the maximal lineage, typically defined by shared surnames. The aggregation of these surnames formed a clan structure, which, geographically, was usually concentrated within a specific territorial unit. In some cases, however, it extended across multiple territorial units, forming an integrated system of patronymic organization.