Imported tableware and socio-cultural change in the urban community: The case of early modern Vilnius

Abstract

The period from the 16th to the 17th century is known for changes in material culture, especially in dining traditions, as different tableware appeared, replacing the dominant pottery of the medieval period. New types of technologically and functionally advanced vessels and dishes including Dutch and Italian tin-glazed earthenware, German stoneware, and a variety of slipwares were changing dining traditions across Europe. All this can be observed from the archaeological material uncovered in what is today Vilnius old town. Tableware from both western European and Ottoman manufacturers was found during archaeological excavations in Vilnius. Compared to the Middle Ages, the total number of imported wares increased significantly. Medieval tableware was very rare in Vilnius and available exclusively to individuals of high social classes but during the early modern period the situation changed. Imported pottery of the 16th and 17th centuries showed that inhabitants of the town were influenced by western dining traditions and usage of imported tableware in their everyday rituals had grown significantly. Focusing on this change traced from Vilnius old town archaeological material, the paper will examine whether imports were available to the representatives of specific social classes or were widely known to the town’s community. Imported tableware as a marker of urban lifestyles suggests that town dwellers, especially noble families, monks and nuns used a variety of imported tableware. This fact represents that dining practices anchored into early modern Vilnius society and changed traditional dining practices.

Analysis of the Impact of Globalization, Digital Technology, and Socio-Cultural Change on Community Identity in the Modern Era in Jakarta

“…This is supported by research on social change and conflict in coastal and small island communities in Indonesia, which found that socio-cultural changes, including changes in identity, have taken place in these communities [40]. Similarly, a study on the transformation of the Malakar community in rural Bengal found that the community's cultural identity has been transformed due to changes in traditional livelihoods [41]. Additionally, a review of a monograph on socio-cultural identity in the digital space highlights the importance of identity as a sense of adequacy and ownership of one's own self [42].…”