Pages: 327-336

The beginning of use of the horizontal loom in the Volga Finns' region is a very debatable question. The paper proposes a scheme of the development of Mari and Mordovians' textile skills during the Middle Ages based on the analysis of finished textile forms. The article studies possible types of looms used by the Volga Finns from the middle of I to the second half of II millennium AD. The authors conclude that the vertical loom was replaced by a horizontal loom first by the Mari (at the 12th—13th centuries), and then by the Mordovians — not earlier than in the 15th century. In addition, the article proposes a possible reconstruction of the vertical loom, which was in use.

Keywords: Middle Volga region, the first — the middle of the second millennium AD, weaving, horizontal loom, vertical loom, Mordvinians, Mari

Information about authors:

Maria Korolyova (Saransk, Russian Federation). Mordovian State University named after N. P. Ogarev. Bolshevistskaya St., 68, Saransk, 430005, Republic of Mordovia, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
Nina Pavlova (Fryazino, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. The Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum and Heritage Site. Kremlin, Moscow, 103132, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]