Woodwork Everyday Life and Household Goods from Excavation in Tyumen of 1988

Woodwork goods are characteristic of the Russian town everyday culture. Wood was used for fort and house constructing, for making tools, household goods and utensils. Timber processing had developed in the town of Tyumen at the end of 17th century. At the beginning of the same century timber articles were brought from Central Russia. By the early 18th century six town enterprises were involved into timber processing (carpentry, bucket and table making, etc.). Though woodwork articles were popular in everyday life, not many wood finds were found in the cultural layer of Russian medieval towns. The most material part is defined due to well-described ethnographic analogues and published collections from excavation of medieval Russian towns of the European Russia and Siberia. The woodwork collection from Tyumen excavation of 1988 consists of 110 articles (about 10 %) and includes the details of vehicles, fishery, weaving, wickerwork, shoes and household goods of 17-18th centuries. All collection articles are typical of home domestic production and were made by the owners themselves as the need required. Such articles as the details of a loom, ski racks, wood-knob cups may be attributed as the ones, made by professional joiners. Cooper's products are also related to handicraft ware. It is impossible to distinguish brought from afar goods in the presented collection. Directly or indirectly the articles, related to fishery (floats, curved awls, the oar, the fish knife) catch our attention. Articles joining weaving, wickerwork, birch bark container and shoes making, fishery are represented by different aids and appliances for thread winding (shuttles, small boards, reels, spinning spindles) - all the things needed to wicker (fishing nets), sew (shoes, containers), weave (clothes). The average stage of excavated articles proves the historians’ conclusion that into wood processing for daily living wants peasants, coachmen and lower middle class were mainly involved. This reality aroused the authority indignation as it bereaved professional craftsmen of their orders. The collection allows supplementing with historical studies in the field of handicraft and domestic industry of the medieval Russian Siberian town.

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