New Horizons of the Medieval Black Sea Region. Book Review: Emanov A.G. Between the Polar Star and the Midday Sun: Caffa in World Trade in the 13th–15th Centuries

Abstract

This article delves into the monographic study by Professor A.G. Emanov of the University of Tyumen. It represents an attempt to culturally and anthropologically explore the sphere of economic relations in the Old World during the 13th–15th centuries, centered around an in-depth examination of the history of one of the largest trade and craft hubs of that era – the Crimean city of Caffa (modern-day Feodosia). The study draws upon a broad spectrum of written and material sources. The author meticulously analyzed private legal documents, both public and private records in various languages such as Latin, Middle Greek, folk Romance, Germanic, Slavic, as well as other European and Oriental languages, along with collections of numismatic artifacts. The author also compiled a topography detailing the distribution of treasures and individual finds of Caffa’s coins in Eastern Europe.The primary research hypothesis is a departure from the conventional West-East dichotomy, proposing instead the coexistence of the North and the South as central to historical processes. The author’s distinctive style is marked by a penchant for metaphors and etymological exercises. He symbolizes the North as the North Star and the South as the Midday Sun, aligning with how medieval people, especially merchants and sailors, referred to them. To characterize trade and cultural exchange between the North and the South, the author employs the unique term “meridional communication.” The book’s most distingui­shing feature lies in the author’s reconstruction of how medieval Europeans perceived goods exported from Caffa. This perception is explored in the context of urban culture, including the representation of Siberian furs in European heraldry. Additionally, the author reconstructs the mindset of businesspeople from that era. His conclusions suggest that their motives were not purely driven by greed but rather guided by ethos – a behavioral model characterized by a set of value orientations and virtues, encompassing elements such as charity and compassion for the less fortunate and vulnerable.