Art as a Symbol of Social Change: Material Expression of Forming Identity in the Early Medieval Trade Towns around South and Eastern Baltic. Wolin and Novgorod Case Study

• Published in: Praehistorische Zeitschrift Vol. 95; no. 2; pp. 558 - 574
• Main Authors: Filipowiak, Wojciech, Tochilova, Nadezhda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin De Gruyter 01.12.2020; Walter de Gruyter GmbH
• Subjects: 10th century; Archaeology; Baltic; Baltique; Bałtyk; early middle ages; frühes Mittelalter; Historic artifacts; identity; Identität; identité; Kunst; Middle Ages; Moyen Âge; Ostsee; Slaves; Slavs; Slawen; Social change; sztuka; Słowianie; tożsamość; Vikings; wczesne średniowiecze; Wikinger; Wikingowie; Балтика; Викинги; идентичность; искусство; раннее средневековье; славяне
• ISSN: 0079-4848; 1613-0804
• DOI: 10.1515/pz-2020-0028

In the early medieval urban centers on the south and east coast of the Baltic, objects decorated in Scandinavian style were used, however with the local character of ornamentation. The authors analyze large collections of this type of artifacts from Wolin and Novgorod against the wide North European background. They indicate the spread of this phenomenon in the Baltic area, naming it Viking Periphery Art and offer an explanation of its origin instead of previous attempts of defining this phenomenon as a Pomeranian School of Scandinavian-Insular Art. They argue that the local art is a testimony to social changes: the fusion of different cultural elements could be proof of the development of the new identity of town elites taking part in long-distance trade in the 10 century.