Литейные формы из раскопок Смоленска

Abstract

This paper publishes casting moulds from excavations in Smolensk. They include a rare variant of moulds for casting diamond-shaped temple rings. This is the first instance of such a find. In combination with finds of ‘tribal’ pendants these forms allow us to suppose the presence of alien rural population in the city. However in the mid-12th century, the character of the estates changed, probably, due to the transference of this territory to the Smolensk eparchy.