Author(s): Vasil Gyuzelev / Language(s): Bulgarian
The present collection comprises 73 medieval documents from the period between 716–1509 of various origins (Bulgarian, Byzantine, Ragusian, Genoese, German, Hungarian, Venetian, etc). They represent a great variety of sub-genres, sizes, as well as contents: ledgers, contracts and statute-books, notary and written agreements, labour contracts, sales certificates, price-lists, trade manuals, wages- sheets, receipts, etc. What they have in common is the fact they all belong to the business documentation of the Middle Ages. This collection of documents is a representation of the tangible and actual history in the utmost degree. Its significance from the point of view of a historical source is paramount since it is remarkable for its impartiality, authenticity and credibility. It is because of that it can be considered as being thoroughly reliable. The collection in question, apart from being meant to disclose the role of both accounting and the actual, as well as tangible consideration to the history of the Bulgarian and European Middle Ages, also communicates a number of activities, phenomena and processes to have taken place in the economic and commercial history. All too often, the documents it contains also come off as the most credible source of information for a number of events and activities making up the military and political, as well as diplomatic history. It also gives an idea of the currency units, length, weight and capacity measures, items of commerce, commodity circulation, and the dynamics of the economic relations. The book comes with a study on the accountancy and trade ledgers, introductory notes for each and every document, annotations, as well as a thesaurus. The editor hopes that medievalists and historians dealing with economics and commerce of the Middle Ages will benefit from its publication for it provides suitable, as well as reliable means to a fruitful and honest scientific research.
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