Wickerwork Made of Vegetal Fibers Found in “Tatarskaya (Wooden) Slobodka” on Sviyazhsk

Abstract

The authors offer a new approach to studying wickerwork of vegetal fibers, such as liber, which have not been treated as a separate category of archaeological finds so far. They describe their special methodology, which they developed for conservation and restoration of liber items. This methodology was applied to study the collection of linden liber and bast items found on excavated structures of 16th – 18th centuries in Sviyazhsk’s posad. A systemic combination of restoration activities applied by the authors has enabled restoring fragments of items of the so-called ‘bast’ industry. Further ethnographic, statistic and technological studies made it possible to distinguish the following groups in this complex: ropes; cattail bags industry; bast shoes; individual finds of unknown use. Each group has a few subgroups with certain characteristic features. This first experience of the authors’ complex approach to systemic classification of such finds will enable its broader application to items made from organic materials.

Keywords

• archaeology
• Middle Volga
• late Middle Ages
• Sviyazhsk
• posad
• vegetal fi - ber
• liber items
• restoration.