Artisans and Traders in the Early Byzantine City: Exploring the Limits of Archaeological Evidence

The application of research methodologies and strategies derived from western urban archaeology to Early Byzantine contexts renders traditionally obscure social groups, like the productive and commercial “middle class”, visible in the archaeological record. Working from both a re-examination of written sources and an assessment of new archaeological data, it seems possible to trace the evolution of the social and economic role of artisans and shopkeepers in the Early Byzantine city between the 5th and 7th centuries. At the same time, the investigation of such undetermined social groups calls for a reflection about the limits of archaeological knowledge and the need for closer interaction between different disciplines and research perspectives.