Abstract:

Kuman/Kipchaks, nomadic Turkish people, had a huge presence in the geographical area stretching from the Irtysh to the Danube, left deep traces in Turkish cultural life via a variety of skills that they had in everyday life. When the social structure is analyzed, as well as husbandry, various professions are also observed to be engaged, presence of prominent a group of craftsman on issue of production activities based on labor and skills draws attention. This article seeks to answer the question, in the process of transformation of human labor into production, in what ways features of nomadic culture involve in this process by looking at artisanal activity partaking in Kuman/Kipchak society. The focus of this study is productive activities of Kuman/Kipchaks and relationship of relevant activities with nomadism which is life-style of the society. At this point, crafts based on service such as barbering is excluded. Business lines that production-driven craftsman engaged in, productions they produced, methods and materials they used are discussed, productive activities is explained through the remains of material culture, and each activity has been associated with nomadic culture. It has benefited mainly from archaeological and linguistic data material, it was found to match with each other. Kuman/Kipchaks, as a reflection of nomadic culture of life, throughout history, whatever the materials in their hand, achieved to process them according to their own life-styles providing maximum benefits. It was found to be based on the same approach in the productive activities and to be acted within the possibilities and requirements of nomadic life-styles. In this context, it was determined that craft-based production was concentrated in the areas of processing of animal products among Kuman/Kipchaks in which the main occupation is husbandry and of metalworking due to overly existence of metal in the living field. In addition, stone dressing, wood and bone carving is important

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