Ze všedního života středověké vesnice : přínos etnografie ke studiu zaniklých středověkých vsí (na příkladu archeologických nálezů z Konůvek)

Although the title of this paper is of such wide and general application, in no way does it lay claim to all the modes of thought and opportunities afforded by the interdisciplinary work of archaeology and ethnography. Its purpose is rather to present clear examples gleaned from real experience which have their foundation in practice, thus to show that in such instances ethnography and the results of its investigations are indispensable. The first part of the paper addresses (albeit in the form of a general historical overview) researches on now defunct medieval villages conducted over the past few decades; the second section focuses on its own specialist theme - i.e. what ethnography has given in this regard to archaeology, with reference to particular cases. Why in the study of the objects supporting everyday needs (the real stuff of archaeology) are ethnology and ethnography so important? a) They are an aid in determining and interpreting material fin dings which are today no longer in common use, such as the yoke and cart or evidence of certain trades; b) archaeologists draw on their expertise when marking up, reconstructing and otherwise completing archaeological findings in fragment form. Subsequently it calls on them to help with interpretation; c) archaeology would be quite helpless without the tools of comparison of ethnography, in particular in the completion and reconstruction of objects or parts of objects made of organic materials (wood, cloth, leather, etc). The analysis of objects supporting everyday needs - meaning the material culture of defunct medieval villages - demands unconditionally cooperation between ethnography and archaeology for the marking up and interpretation of archaeological findings. For medieval archaeology in particular, the work of ethnography and ethnology is of fundamental importance: without reference to the results of its investigations, everyday life in the medieval village cannot be reconstructed with any degree of plausibility and to any great extent.