Glas als Fernhandelsprodukt im frühen Mittelalter -Köln und der europäische Norden
The Glass Beads of Ribe – Evidence of Local Glass Bead Making and Long-distance Trade
Résumé
Glas als Fernhandelsprodukt im frühen Mittelalter-Köln und der europäische Norden
The abundant glass bead and beadmaking remains from Ribe, closely dated to periods throughout the 8th and first half of the 9th century, provide the best-preserved evidence for early medieval glass bead production and exchange in Northern Europe. Our study based on bead morphology, manufacturing technology and chemical composition shows strong support for on-site bead production, most importantly in the early and mid-8th century but also into the 9th century, using raw materials mainly from Roman and Late Antique Egypt but also the Levant. By the last third of the 8th century this picture changes to wholesale import of finished beads from Abbasid centres in Iraq, albeit with a reduced level of continued local production. The Ribe evidence provides a fine-grained chronology for this change as well as a detailed look at new products coming from the Islamic world. This major shift in trade focus from south to east would have important implications not only for societies in Northern Europe, but also in the Caliphate, where the greatly increased scale of production and trade of glass and other materials likely had significant economic, technological, social and political effects.
Origine : Publication financée par une institution
Licence : CC BY - Paternité
Licence : CC BY - Paternité