THE DISTRIBUTION AND CHRONOLOGY OF TRADING EQUIPMENT IN PRESENT-DAY LATVIA IN THE TENTH TO THIRTEENTH CENTURIES

Abstract

This article brings together the main research findings of recent years relating to tenth to thirteenth-century trading equipment from present-day Latvia. Finds of collapsible scales and weights from all regions of Latvia have been mapped and investigated. These include finds from archaeological sites in the Zemgale and Kurzeme regions that have previously not been extensively analysed. Issues relating to the chronology of the scales and weights are discussed. The main trade routes and the dynamics of trade contacts are determined, based on the distribution of the material in different regions. Key words: trade routes, chronology, scales, weights. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ab.v24i0.1566