O perspectivă teoretică asupra cercetării relaţiilor de schimb dintre comunităţile preistorice
A Theoretical View upon the Investigation of Trade, among the Prehistoric Communities

Summary/Abstract: The study aims at sketching a research pattern to be applied to the phenomenon of trade within the Prehistoric communities. In this respect, the author considers that any archaeologically based investigation of the trade should proceed from a clarification of the meaning of the concept of „trade”. The trade should not be limited to the circulation of goods in an economic context. In most cases, it takes some forms which lack an utter economic character or are disguised under some social customs. The Melanesian Kula, the Potlatch, the ritual gifts practiced in Samoa or those that are related to the major events of life, in the traditional Romanian society, are only some examples, based on which the author identifies the common features of all kinds of trade. The next methodological step consists of considering the archaeological testimonies (the exchange indicators) against the context of the elaborated theoretical pattern, with the aim of identifying the forms trade took during the Prehistory. The semantic rapports between the notions of „importation” and „exchange indicator” are also discussed; in the opinion of the author, the meanings of the two notions are not the same.

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