Shapes of clay vessels from the Malyshevo burial ground

The paper reports on the results of the analysis dealing with the shapes of clay vessels from the Malyshevo burial ground (6th -11th centuries) from the standpoint of the historical and cultural approach. It reviews general proportionality, types and variants of shape structure. A detailed systematization of the shapes is proposed based on the data on the range of random variations in characteristics of the most stable functional parts of the vessels. The two most widespread traditions of form-making by the Muroma population and the shapes of vessels reflecting commingling of these traditions are identified.