Why together? Archaeology and zoology about medieval leather products on the example of Szczecin

Many years of archaeological excavation brought to light a rich material, that can be used in research of topics important from a social and economic point of view, such as the character of the production and/or organization, the development of technique and production technology, or the assortment of goods. A deep analysis of the selected categories of artifacts, in this case made of leather, can be used for a double purpose – a reconstruction of the process and conditions of early medieval leather craft formation, as well as a presentation of their role and significance in the activity structure of the inhabitants of Szczecin. Such an attempt to grasp the rules governing the development of one of the most important production branches – leatherworking, has been undertaken on the basis of leather objects that can be found on a mass scale in Szczecin’s cultural layers dated for the period from the early 10th to the mid-13th century. Key to these studies are the results of zoological analyses, which perfectly complement the archaeological conclusions.