Gintaro tradicija viduramžių Klaipėdoje Vokiečių ordino ir Prūsijos kunigaikštystės kontekste iki XVI a. antrosios pusės
LTViduramžiai - svarbus miestų kultūros vystymosi ir prekybos plėtotės laikotarpis. Klaipėda nuo 1254 m. juridiškai tampa miestu. Jai suteikiamos Liubeko miesto teisės4. Tačiau miestų istorijos raidos tyrėjų nuomone, Klaipėda kaip miestas sparčiau pradėjo vystytis ir ūkinę reikšmę įgavo tik nuo XVI a. pradžios. Iki tol tai buvo mažas miestelis su ryškiais agrariniais bruožais5. Nors pilies ir jos prieigų archeologiniai tyrimai liudija to laikotarpio miestams būdingas kasdienio gyvenimo tradicijas bei amatininkų veiklas, kurių įvairovė laikui bėgant plėtėsi. Taip pat ne išimtis buvo ir gintaro rinkimas bei jo apdirbimas (bent jau nuo XIV a. pabaigos - XV a.). Šiame straipsnyje siekiama atskleisti susiklosčiusią gintaro tradiciją Vakarų Europos miestuose ir vokiškose žemėse, įvertinti viduramžių Klaipėdos padėtį šiame kontekste ir atsakyti į klausimą, ar tiriant archeologinę medžiagą bei pasitelkiant istoriografinius faktus įmanoma išskirti tuos pačius gintaro naudojimo bruožus Klaipėdos mieste kaip ir kituose gintaro apdirbimą vysčiusiuose Europos miestuose? Straipsnyje analizuojama Klaipėdos piliavietės ir priešpilio archeologinių tyrimų metu nuo 1968 iki 2014 m. surinkta medžiaga, kuri pateikiama Klaipėdos miesto kūrimosi ir kitų Europos miestų gintaro apdirbimo istoriografiniame kontekste. Didžiausias dėmesys skiriamas gintaro dirbiniams. [Iš straipsnio, p. 98]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Gintaras; Gintaro apdirbimo tradicijos; Klaipėdos pilis; Vokiečių Ordinas (Teutonic Order; Kryžiuočių ordinas); Prūsijos kunigaikštystė; Amber; Amber processing traditions; Klaipėda castle; German Order; Duchy of Prussia.
ENClues for the use of amber during different time periods can be found within cultural contexts of the past communities. The origin and qualities of amber have been thoroughly studied by scholars of the antiquity. Medieval scientists adopted these studies in the form of treatises and, during that time, amber became a significant part of rapidly growing economy and trade. More specifically, amber was used alongside other luxury goods in medicine and religious rituals. This study is an overview of amber tradition which developed in towns ofWestern Europe and in the German territory. It is also an evaluation of amber use in medieval Klaipėda through the context of aforementioned places. The collection of amber finds gathered during archaeological excavations at the castle site and its associated foot settlement (between years 1968 and 2014) was used as main evidence for this study. The focus was on artefacts made of amber, which were analysed through historiographic context of the new and developing town of Klaipėda and further Western Europe. The establishment of Klaipėda castle (or Memelburg) and the adjacent town dates back to the year 1252, however the process of development did not go as smoothly as planned. From the beginning up until the middle of the 16th century, the castle underwent numerous destructions, fires, reconstructions, as well as stages of modernisation. Life in the castle and the adjacent settlement was constantly interrupted by enemy attacks which impeded the growth of town. Regardless, the tradition of collecting and working amber was evolving. Furthermore, amber’s healing properties were also widely acknowledged. It must be noted that Amber Regalia regulations were applied in Klaipėda, therefore it came to no surprise that there were very little amber finds discovered at the castle site or its vicinity.During the first excavations at the castle site (in 1968) only a single amber bead was discovered. Investigation reports from the year 1975 to 1981, listed a single fragment of raw amber (recovered from disturbed layers dated between the 14th and 15th centuries), as well as three amber beads and a fragment of an amber artefact (possibly a pendant). These finds were interpreted as reflective of a persistent Curonian tradition in a newly developing German town. There were no amber finds discovered from the year 1981 to 2014. Fortunately, the 2014 investigations presented with a considerably richer collection of amber artefacts. The following finds were discovered in disturbed layers dated between the end of the 13 th and the 15th century: a fragment of an amber pendant or a plate (probably a fragment of clothing or accessory), a gaming dice made of cloudy yellow amber, a total of eight complete or cracked beads, seven half-finished beads and 40 pieces of raw amber and flakes with no apparent marks of processing. Knowledge of amber working in the medieval Klaipėda was greatly enriched by discoveries from the 1990 investigations in the outskirts of old town. 41 amber finds included artefacts such as: multicoloured beads of circular, oval and barrel shapes, also a number of cracked semi-finished beads and pieces of raw amber. Amber artefacts collected during these excavations are illustrative of challenges and stages of amber processing of the period between the 14th and 15th centuries. A comparative study of amber finds from Klaipėda and other towns revealed the presence of standardised manufacturing. It also became apparent that craftsmen followed the Western tradition of amber processing, even though the castle of Klaipėda was on the periphery of German, and later Prussian, territory.This was illustrated by finds such as rosary beads, which were produced in Klaipėda following Western European standards. Rare amber finds, such as the fragment of a pendant (or a plate) and a gaming dice, were considered as evidence of an enduring Prussian "spirit" in the medieval Klaipeda. [From the publication]
