O descoperire inedită: atelierul unui tălpălar din Iaşi de la finele secolului al XVIII-lea

In this study we present the results of the archaeological research undertaken in Iaşi on Zugravi Street no. 64 by a team from the Institute of Archeology, Romanian Academy, Iaşi branch, between June and September 2018. An area of approx. 2000 m2 was dug, being drawn two sections, of different sizes. In the smaller section (S1 – 19.5x9.5 m), the foundation and walls of a building were identified. In the second section (S2 – 31x50 m), a rectangular fountain (with sides of 1.15x1 m) was discovered, with the formwork sides made from used boards and which was most probably used for treating animal skins. It was intentionally disused, being crammed with various materials (burnt brick, charcoal, ceramics, iron objects, bones), which formed a compact filling. On the east side of this section, a stone building (E1), of considerable size (15 m), divided into two rooms, was investigated. Its walls were built of small and medium blocks of shaped stone, glued with a poor quality mortar. Numerous archeological artifacts were discovered in one of the rooms, such as: soles, one scissor, and many remains of processed or processed leather. Also from the inventory of this room comes a coin, with the value of 2 parale / 3 kopecks, which was issued in 1772, in the mint from Rogojna / Sadagura (today part of Chernivtsi). Archaeological discoveries contain relevant evidence of the existence in this perimeter of a workshop for the processing of animal skins, a sole maker (tălpălar) installed here with his craft after 1784. This year the guild of tălpălari made a request to Prince Alexandru Constantin Mavrocordat (Deli-bei) to assign them a place “for the necessity of their craft”. The Prince ordered the identification of a place “not given to anyone”, “below Cişmeaua Păcurari”, which “is of no use to anyone, being a place with swamps and a spring of salt water”. Not far from the place indicated in the document from 1784 is the workshop now identified by archaeological research.