Transmission of Technical Information in Traditional Societies

Introduction. This article is theoretical in nature. The objective of this work is to raise the problem of information transfer in the formation of ancient technical reality. The novelty of this article raises the problem of transmitting technical information in antiquity as being posed for the first time, despite the abundance of works on the history of craftsmanship in foreign and Russian archeology. Methods and materials. The multidisciplinary nature of modern archeology determined the choice of research material, which includes publications by foreign and Russian archaeologists, anthropologists, folklorists, ethnologists, and historians. Research methods: comparative and systematic approach. The methodological basis of the work is a systematic approach to an object as a set of subsystems: morphology (the study of form in the general scientific sense), material, technology, and function. Analysis. These subsystems are presented in the form of two triads: historical and cultural (“morphology, material, and function”) and historical and industrial (“morphology, material, and technology”). The subject of research is the second triad. Results. As a result, we have identified the following ways of transmitting technical information in ancient times: replication according to a ready-made sample; imitation in another technology or material; the use of matrices or stamps; templates in the manufacture of complex artifacts; semi-finished products, the shape of which indicated the processing technology; and relocation of craftsmen. Presumably, “designers” or “interpreters” broadcast information from other-cultural “customers” about the peculiarities of decorating things with a high semiotic status; the focus on human characteristics; the preservation of technical information in folklore (epos and songs) and scientific treatises; and the proportions and sizes of the human body and its parts (transmitting metric ratios). Authors’ contribution. Yu.A. Likhter proposed the article’s concept, justified the methods and methodology used, and contributed some of the factual material. Yu.G. Kokorina collected the second part of the factual material, including foreign material, and conducted an analysis.