Economic sociology of antiquity: methodological foundations and knowledge base

The purpose of the article is to characterize the current state of sociological research of archaic economic structures. The economic sociology of antiquity has not yet been recognized as an independent branch of sociological science, but it has a developed methodology and relies on a broad empirical knowledge base about the economic life of ancient societies. The analysis of the economic practices of an archaic society should be based on the methodology of substantialism. In the context of such a methodology, the ancient economy cannot be considered as a system that exists separately and is oriented towards its own criteria. It should be considered as part of a single socio-cultural system, organically connected with its other parts, and at the early stages of the development of society and subordinate to them. Accordingly, any economic structure should be considered as unique, and it is advisable to use ideographic methods in its analysis.