EARLY MEDIEVAL MILLEFIORI BEADS IN EASTERN EUROPE
Abstract
The article presents a comprehensive study of early medieval millefiori beads discovered in Eastern Europe. These beads are widely known in the territory of the Merovingian Kingdom, which encompassed Western and Central Europe, and were found in smaller quantities in the territories of Great Britain and Scandinavia. The study is based on millefiori beads from archaeological sites in Eastern Europe (necropolises of Southwestern Crimea, the Caucasus, and Dnieper hoards of the Martynovka type), which have not been examined in detail previously. Special attention is paid to the morphological and technological characteristics of the beads, their ornamental features, and a comparative analysis with millefiori from Western and Central Europe. The main research findings demonstrate the extensive geographical distribution of millefiori during the second half of the 6th — 7th centuries, with their peak occurrence in the first half of the 7th century. During the material analysis, a unique decorative type was identified, characteristic exclusively of Eastern Europe, which may indicate the existence of independent glassmaking workshops producing ornaments for specific regions.
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