Меховая торговля в Северной Европе в эпоху Великого переселения народов
Fur Trade in Northern Europe in the Great Migration Period

Summary/Abstract: During the Great Migration Period, there was a demand for fur in the Mediterranean, probably due to general climate changes in Europe. In the 6th century, according to written sources, there were already two trade routes by which fur was delivered to the Eastern Roman Empire: from Scandinavia through the mouth of the Vistula and from the forest zone of Eastern Europe through the Don and the Black Sea basin. The main fur hunters and suppliers were northern peoples, such as the Saami in Northern Finnoscandia. Still, the fur trade was carried out by intermediaries — the Germanic Suehans / Svionians in Scandinavia and the Huns — Hunnuguri on the Don route. Undoubtedly, other peoples were also involved in the trade chain between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Trade with northern hunters certainly had the character of a direct exchange of fur for goods (primarily metal products or iron bars). But there was also often a violent expropriation of furs from the local population, either as tribute or by outright robbery. Therefore, military-political formations of the “barbarian kingdoms” type sometimes arise on the southern border of the fur production zone — their archaeological traces for the 5th—6th centuries have been recorded in the Gulf of Bothnia, in Norrland and in Osterbothnia. In general, the fur trade, or rather its income, inevitably had to complicate the military situation, both in the fur production zone and on the routes of its export. The latter circumstance was probably one of the reasons for the degradation of the military situation in Eastern Europe during the Great Migration Period.

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