The social structure of medieval craft in the Volga region based on archaeological data

Abstract

The social structure of medieval craft in the Volga region was studied with the help of archaeological data. For this purpose, the manufacturing techniques were analyzed and described. Reconstruction of the craft organization demands a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis (integration of the traditional archaeological and archaeometric methods) of craft products, raw materials, and workshops. This approach was applied to the investigation of the Bilyar settlement, which is the best studied pre-Mongolian monument and, therefore, the most informative one. The conclusions were made about the organizational specifics of the Bulgarian craft, concerning, in particular, its topography within the city. Two major social forms were singled out: palatial (khan) craft and free small commodity production. Three main components of craft associations were established: apprenticeship institution, settling by professions inherent in the organized craft, and manufacture control. The progressive development of the Bulgar craft was disrupted by the Mongol invasion that changed the vector of cultural development in all craft areas. New trends in the craft organization typical of the Golden Horde were particularly pronounced in the Lower Volga capitals of Sarai al-Mahrusa (Selitrennoye settlement) and Sarai al-Jedid (Tsarevskoye settlement).

Keywords

• volga bulgaria
• bilyar settlement
• golden horde
• tsarevskoye settlement
• urban craft
• complex study
• archaeometry
• technology
• social structure