Coppersmithing in the medieval town (based on excavation materials in the Rozhdestvenskoye settlement)

During the field season of 2018, a coppersmith workshop was discovered and partially studied in the Rozhdestvenskoye settlement. The settlement which was a trade and craft factory of the Volga Bulgaria contains evidence of the existence of various crafts. Numerous workshops were explored, but there were no reliable facts on the existence of coppersmithing. At the same time, coppersmithing probably existed due to the demand for copperware, the existence of a raw materials base and relevant professional skills of artisans engaged in non-ferrous metal working. Based on the analysis of copperware widespread in Eastern Europe, the regional centers of its production, including Perm region, were hypothetically identified, but the specific places of manufacture remained unknown. An expressive series of copper rivets at all stages of production was assembled in a coppersmith’s workshop in the Rozhdestvenskoye settlement, which makes it possible to reconstruct the entire process of their production. Riveting had a supplementary role: it was used when attaching parts (lugs) to the dishes or when repairing. The fact that an artisan specialized in repairing copperware is unmistakable. Indisputable facts confirming the production of dishes in the workshop have not yet been received. However, all production stages are recorded here, starting from casting copper billets, plates forging (the presence of partially forged copper plate), materials cutting (trimming plates, including the ones with toothing for fitting) and other features. According to the preliminary estimates, a coppersmith’s workshop functioned in the late 11th -12th centuries.