Leather production in Belarus in the XI-XIII centuries: status and prospects of research
The article presents a brief historiographical overview and is devoted to archaeological studying of the leather and shoe crafts in the medieval city of XI-XIII centuries. Existing research approaches to the characterization of leather crafts (describing their technical and technological base, product mix, place in the economic structure of ancient city), and the compilation of typological classification schemes are discussed in it. Historiographical analysis and systematization were made. Promising research tasks have been described. The first publications, that are dedicated to the production of handicraft processing of skins, and technical and technological features of tailoring of finished products, are analyzed. The principles, which formed the basis of further multilateral and multi-leather case study received indicative, becoming an example of the description and systematization of the relevant archaeological material, are disclosed. On the factual material shows that the Belarusian archeologists exploring the various aspects of the leather industry, as well as its place in the material culture of the medieval population, acted within the scope of classical analysis schemes.