Between Innovation and Tradition: A Case Study of Drinking Vessels from Medieval Vilnius

This paper focuses on late medieval (late 13th- to 15th-century) ceramic drinking vessels and related forms from Vilnius. The archaeological record from this period is very diverse and locally produced artefacts are abundant. Imported pottery, which mostly comprises vessels associated with storing, serving and consuming drink, is less common, but nonetheless provides valuable information on social and economic conditions in Vilnius during the medieval period. Following an introduction to the historical context, the sources and use of these imported wares, which include rare finds of Golden Horde ceramics, is discussed. As most excavated pottery is of local production, with only a small proportion of imported vessels, this suggests that new traditions were only adopted by a minority, while the rest of the community kept to their established ways. If so, vessels can be taken as evidence for the meeting of different cultural traditions.